Story of the Firefly
by MoonRaven95
Summary: Do you believe in afterlife? Lana didn't but she always hoped it was true. She hoped for a chance to be free from the shackles of her illness. And when a year was given for her to live, she hoped for it more than anything else. And there was a world she wanted to live in more than anything. And that was the world of One Piece. OC falls into OP story.
1. Wake me up when it's all over

**A/N: Haah, don't kill me old readers. This is just an idea I needed to write up. Yes. This is yet another 'Insert falls into another world' that I'm so fond of. With a twist. I love making twists. So I hope ou read this anyways and review so I know should I continue this one And don't worry, I won't abandon my old fics. I'm just having some difficulties with the current chapters...**

**And new readers... Hello, this is my first OP fic but not my first fic all in all so no worries. I'm quite good writer(I guess). I hope you like this and review too. Or review even if you don't like. Contructive critism is always welcome.**

**But that's enough of my babbling. I'll just let you trudge onwards now. A little warning though. This chapter contains a lot of character death...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Wake me up when it's all over.<strong>

"_Do you believe in afterlife? Do you believe in another chance where you can start again? I don't. I don't believe but I have always hoped it could be possible. It is my wish to live again in a world where I'm not sick or weak. Where I can be free. Yes, that was my wish. Maybe it still is as these hours tick by."_

A harsh cough could be heard and blood drops splattered on the page. Girl with sickly pale complexion and black hair bended over the desk she was working at and tried to hold back the next coughing fit. With a shaking hand she grasped the pen again and stubbornly continued writing.

"_Hours… I doubt I even have that much. A year was given to me until my lungs fail and now it's been past that year mark. I became a ticking time bomb. No, not ticking. Coughing."_

Blood covered the girl's left palm as she tried to keep herself from soiling the page anymore.

"_Dark humor and irony… What have I become? I used to be so happy… Or was it only for the sakes of my older brothers? Dear Dominic who worked at home so he could be here when my condition worsened and take me to the hospital. He was the one to see the worst of me. And dear Rosario who spent as much time with me as possible. We all smiled a lot. I was at home about all the time. If I saw my friends, they were instructed to take me to the hospital and call Ros if anything happened with my condition. But were I truly happy or just pushing aside the worry of leaving everyone behind. Pretending that everything was alright while that shadow of death loomed over me."_

The teen girl took several heaving breaths and glanced at the open doorway. There were bangs and clangs coming from the direction of the kitchen. Rosario was making dinner in there. Dominic was probably in his room, working…

"_I should not think like that. But look at me. Already using past tense when writing about myself and my family… I love them. I love mum who died when giving birth to me. This sickness that is killing me now, had weakened her too… I love Dom and Ros. They raised me and were always there for me. I guess I also love father even though I don't even remember what he looked like. I love my friends. I love Samuel who I've known since ever. I love Nicole who began tutoring me when I had to drop out of school. I love Vivian who lives in the neighborhood. I love the flirty sushi cook Satoshi who always gave me some extra pieces. I love Samuel's brother Isaac and little Lucas. I guess I even love Nancy and Zachary who I never really got to know. I love everyone that I even remotely know in this little town. I've made no enemies in my life."_

Her lungs hurt. They hurt so much. It was hard to breath. "Not yet… I'm not ready yet." The girl leaned back in her chair and tried to calm down. "I got to write this one…"

"_I've lived without regrets this far. Of course there is a lot I would've wanted to do but considering my situation… Yeah. I have had everything I needed. So please… Dom, Ros, everyone… Please live on. I'll be fine. And if there is an afterlife or a chance to be born again, I hope I can take it. I also hope I can remember you all."_

More blood fell to stain the page.

"_And this is the last words I, Lana Waters, write."_

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><p>When the last dot was on its place, the girl, Lana, began coughing again. This time it was louder. This time it sounded like she was choking on her own blood that was slowly filling her lungs. Her frail body shook by the force of each forced cough trying to expel the red half-coagulated substance out of her system. She could barely breathe and blackness was starting to fill her vision.<p>

The chair fell down and Lana with it on the floor. The sounds in the kitchen quietened immediately. Rosario ran to his little sister's room to find her unmoving form lying on the floor, face down.

"Lana!" The blonde man in his twenties gasped and kneeled beside the girl's still form, carefully turning her on her back and lifting her upper body on his lap.

"…Ros?" The girl whispered. She was tired. So tired. She could barely even open her eyes. The eyelids just felt so heavy…

"I'm right here, Lana… I'm right here." Rosario didn't need to be a genius to understand that any breath she took would be her last. And while he should've been yelling at Dom to grab the car keys so they could take Lana to hospital but… Rosario knew they wouldn't get in there in time.

"Where's Dom…?"

"He… Oi, Dom, get here now!"

There was a clattering sound, like something being dropped on the floor before a door at the end of the room opened and a blonde head with aviators a top of the nest of hair peeked out. As soon as the eldest of the siblings saw Rosario kneeling on the floor with Lana on his arms, he ran to them.

"Lana…" Dominic whispered in horror as he looked down at the girl's bloodied face and closed eyes.

"Hi, Dom…" The girl smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not hurt." Quiet cough escaped her lips again.

"Lana, please, you're…" Rosario talked, not really knowing what to say. Dominic just stood quietly, stony faced and completely detached from the situation. It was the only way he'd been able to function around Lana whenever she'd had her worst moments. Rosario in the other had was always also emotionally present. He was such a gentle person.

"Ros… Do you think I'm able to become the Firefly now?" The last breath left the fragile girl's body and she fell limp on her brother's arms. Tears poured down Rosario's face as he held the dead body of his little sister's close, not caring at the blood staining his shirt. And slowly, Dominic woke up from his frozen state and kneeled down to envelope his younger siblings into an embrace.

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><p>Bells tolled and the coffin was lowered to the ground. The funeral wasn't extremely large but it wasn't small either. Majority of the guests were Lana's friends and people from neighborhood. Tears stained young faces and people were holding each other tight. Even though many had tried to mentally prepare themselves for the sweet girl's passing away, in the end it had been for vain. Lana had been tragically torn away from them.<p>

And in the back row, one person was silently wowing to himself to help the little girl, even when she was beyond the grave.

"_Don't worry, Lana. You won't be alone for long…"_

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><p>A small group was sitting at their regular table at All Sushi Blues, the place they'd gone for two years every Saturday. With Lana.<p>

"It's so weird…" A girl with blonde hair with light blue highlights sighed while leaning her chin against her palm. "So come here without Lana."

"Yeah. It's strange. And I can't even cry anymore." A young woman opposite the girl agreed, crossing her arm over her chest and flicking a lock of silky black hair behind her ear. "No more Thursday lessons to give her… She was doing so great."

"She left a hole on all of us." A boy around the girl's age added, pulling his fedora to shadow his eyes. "I didn't even…"

"We know, Samuel. She knew it too." The woman patted the boy's forearm. "She just didn't want to hurt you anymore than she would like this."

Samuel hiccupped. "I just wish I could've told it to her even once." He whispered.

A stool scraped the floor and another teen sat down. His hair was limp from the rain that had started shortly after the funerals. On his lap was a little kid with similar hair and bewildered look in his eyes.

"Hey." The older of the two said.

"Hey, Isaac." The girl with blue in her hair smiled wearily and gave a peck on his cheek.

"You okay, Vivian? I know Lana was your best friend." Isaac questioned.

"I… I will be."

"And you Samuel?"

"… I suppose." The other male member of the group whispered, looking down on the table and his red puffy eyes hidden with the rim of his hat and blond locks falling down the sides of his face.

"Where's Lana?" The kid on Isaac's lap asked. All of them froze at the question. They understood it, yes, but it didn't make the situation any better.

"Lucas… Lana is in another world now." The woman tried to explain gently."

"Nicole…" Isaac warned.

"Another world?" The seven-year-old boy repeated in confusion.

"Yes. It's a good place." Nicole continued. "It's a place where Lana can be free… She can do whatever she can and where…"

"And Lana doesn't hurt?"

"No. Lana is healthy and strong there. She isn't sick anymore."

"Can I go to meet her?"

"…With time yes. But now you need to grow up and live happily. Like Lana did."

"Is it a place for happy people?"

"It is a place for good people."

Lucas looked down thoughtfully. Silence filled the space between the people there. No one spoke.

"I guess… If Lana is happy, it is a good place." The little boy eventually decided. Nicole smiled.

"That's right. It is a good place."

"On the house." Six sushi plates were placed on the table and the person who had brought them, sat behind one of them, next to Nicole.

"Hello, Satoshi." The woman greeted.

"Hello, Nicole-san. Hello, Vivi-chan." The apprentice sushi cook greeted the two females at the table and offered nods to the male population. "I was listening to your conversation… It is weird indeed that Lana-chan isn't here. She always encouraged me to continue chasing my dreams and take the apprenticeship here despite what my parents told me… She was such a ray of sunshine."

"Kept making references to One Piece." Vivian chuckled. "That manga she got me to read."

"Little Otaku couldn't always even concentrate on her studies when she was waiting for the next chapter." Nicole mused with a smile. "We could talk hours end the history and geography of that world. It is intriguing even though it's just an imaginary world. I guess I need keep up myself now that she isn't summarizing the events to me all the time."

"She once called crying to me and told me not to die because it would make so many people sad." Isaac stated quietly as he watched Lucas eat the sushi in front of him.

"Lana gave me this shirt on my birthday. She made is herself." The little boy announced proudly. Samuel glanced at the painted anchor on the white background.

"Yeah, you still need to learn how to swim." The blond boy mused.

"When this place was opened, she participated in the naming process." Satoshi grinned.

Unknown to all of them, a figure in a shadowed corner table ordered a dish of flambé whitefish. Only to leave as soon as the order was done. The little group continued quiet chatting and reminiscing their late friend and her quirks.

"You remember that hat she made for Rosario? The red one with hearts at the end?" Vivian grinned.

"Or the blue and yellow bird made out of beads?" Samuel chuckled. "Didn't she name it 'Pineapple'?"

"Yes, she did. Rosario told me he put it in the coffin with her." Nicole informed the other teens.

"Lana-chan would always compare us to the characters even though half of the time we didn't even know what she was talking about." Satoshi mused. "Though during the time they became really familiar."

"It is funny…" Isaac began. "It's funny how many people she could find from our town that have their counterpart in that manga."

"Like Mihail Juraquille and James Redstone?" Nicole quirked an eyebrow.

"And your boyfriend Zachary and his twin sister Petra." Isaac added.

"And Nancy with her sister. And the guy from the bed and cushion shop Maritime Dreams. I forgot his name though…" Vivian remembered.

"Maritime Dreams?" Samuel frowned.

"It's at the other side of the town nowadays but when we were nine and began reading One Piece, it was right around the corner. The heating system was always broken back then and the owner slept every time there was no customers. Lana and I used to sneak in and pour ice water on him any time we found him like that."

"His name was Aosato." Nicole told them. "I spoke to him once. Strange fellow."

"You know… I'm worried." Vivian stated suddenly.

"About what?" Isaac frowned.

"About Rosario and Dominic. Lana really held them together during the last year. I'm afraid to know what will happen now. Especially considering… Dominic's behavior every time Lana was hospitalized. I heard he always locked himself up in his room and didn't come out until Lana was back home. And afterwards he'd hang nearby whenever Lana was with us."

"That's right. I wondered that too." Samuel frowned. But from Vivian's tone he knew that was another reason for her uneasiness. "Vivs? Which character was Dominic compared to again?"

"Huh? What does those have anything to do with this?" Isaac frowned.

"Lana is a great expert on personalities and can read people well. The people she compares us are spot on. If not noticeable to all but what she sees in people, are very accurate." Nicole replied. "No matter how much one tries to hide it."

"So… Who is it then?" Satoshi quirked an eyebrow.

"It's-…"

But Vivian even got to answer, as the restaurant was engulfed by flames caused by a gas explosion. And everyone inside died. As people gathered outside to gawk, a lone figure headed towards an apartment complex in the upper town. His next prey would be there.

"_Soon, little Lana. Everyone is with you. Just wait."_

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><p>James Redstone was having a nice conversation with his friend and business rival Mihail Juraquille at the latter home. The two men weren't talking about business this time though. No, it was private matters.<p>

"Zach came home today, didn't he?" The ginger man grinned, sipping the wine poured to his glass.

"Yes. He won the kendo competition he was attending." The other man nodded. "He did quite well indeed."

"Of course he did. He is your son!" James scoffed. "And you used to win those competitions all the time!"

Mihail just smirked.

"And how's Petra? Is she still in her rebellious phase?"

"Yes…" A long suffering sigh escaped the dark man's lips. "Her newest stun is to dye her hair pink… As if those goth-loli clothes aren't enough already?"

If James was going to come up with a smart quip, he never got a chance. A scream pierced the air, followed by a heavy thump. The two men were instantly on their feet, Mihail grabbing a katana that was hung on the wall and which he kept sharpened just in case. He knew when his daughter screamed in disgust (when facing cockroaches) or in excitement (when seeing something cute) and this was neither.

The men made their way towards the room from which they presumed the scream had come from. And there… The children they had been talking about were lying on the floor. Zachary was lying on his back, a narrow fishing line tied tightly around his throat. There were mark on his neck that he'd been clawing the lines for air but for vain. And Petra… One moment her body was on the floor, bleeding from the slash wound on her neck and the next she was hoisted upright, like some Victorian porcelain doll.

"Kukukuku… She'd make a pretty marionette." A creepy laughter echoed from a shadowed hallway. The speaker was not seen but Mihail recognized the voice. Unfortunately.

"Dominic Dominguez. What are you doing here?" The father of the two dead teens growled with narrowed eyes.

"Wasn't your sister's funerals just today?" James added, his eyes scanning the room for something to use as a weapon.

"Yes… She is in the next world now. And I? I'm just doing my duty as a big brother to make sure my little sister isn't lonely." And Dominic stepped into the light, one hand holding the fishing lines hoisting Petra up. A manic grin was adorning his face. "And you are next."

The two men were completely taken by surprise when they realized they'd walked into a trap. First Petra's dead body was dropped down. That started a chain reaction constructed of piano wires. The sharp metal dug into the skin of the men, trapping them in the middle of the room. Even the katana that Mihail had brought was useless as he couldn't move at all.

"Now… I hope you have a nice adventure, Taka no me, Akagami…" Dominic smiled in sinister way as he strolled to them with a knife in his hand. Mihail was first to go. And when the blonde walked around the tied up pair and faced James.

"Oh, don't make that face, Akagami." The marionette maker chuckled. "I know you are worried about your adopted sons… But it's alright! Isaac, Samuel and Lucas are already gone. They died an hour ago with their friends."

"What!?" James roared. "What did you do you bastard?!"

"Silence." Knife slashed across the ginger haired man's left eye. "Aren't you happy of meeting them in the next world? They don't need to be alone here…"

As a reply he got a one-eyed glare that was gone as soon as the knife dug into the man's heart.

"Two more stops to go…" Dominic hummed, not caring about the blood staining his shirt. It could be covered with a jacket after all…

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><p>Rosario ended the call he'd just received with a sigh. It was his friend and mentor Seno from the law enforcement. They already had the results of the primary investigation on the All Sushi Blues. Someone had released odorless gas in the restaurant and when a flame was lit in the kitchens to cook flambé whitefish, the fire had spread throughout the restaurant. While it had been a quiet day, everyone who had been inside, had died instantly. And all the customers at the time had been Lana's friends.<p>

"_There was one more customer though… He disappeared right after making an order. A witness we managed to find described that person as your brother Dominic."_ The man had told Rosario. _"We are coming to arrest him soon."_

Dominic wasn't home yet. And to be honest, Rosario wasn't surprised at all of what had happened. Well, he was surprised that Dominic had actually gone a killed people Lana held dear but it was surprising that he had snapped. It had been coming for a long time. Lana's death was only a catalyst in the process.

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><p>With another sigh, the blond man picked himself up from the sofa and headed for his older brother's working room. It was a room that was always closed. Not locked but closed and out of bounds for both Rosario and Lana. The middle child pressed down the door handle and pulled open the door of the darkened room. What he witnessed there was something he did not expect.<p>

"I knew he made marionettes out of One Piece characters per Lana's request but…" The walls were filled by them. Pirates, marines, civilians… Almost every notable character introduced in the series. Those marionettes hung from their strings in rows, their heads slightly tilted forward. It was a creepy sight to say the least. Like they all had been hanged.

At the end of the room was a desk with materials and tools scattered all around it. In the middle of it was a lone marionette sitting and leaning against some books. It was a girl doll. One Lana had designed herself. The Firefly.

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><p>"<em>Firefly? Is that her name?" Rosario asked as he looked down at the drawing Lana had finished.<em>

"_Yes. It's me in the One Piece world." The teen girl grinned and began writing on the edges of the picture._

"_What does she do then?"_

"_She tells stories to everyone. She is a Legend, whispered throughout the history."_

"_Why is she a legend?" Rosario could only barely hold back a chuckle at his sister's antics._

"_Because everything she tells is true." Lana replied with 'well, duh' look._

"_Ah, because she is you, she knows the story of One Piece."_

"_That's right."_

"_But she must be strong too then. Because people surely will try to hunt her down."_

"_Yes, she is healthy and strong. She can use tonfas that can be connected together as a bo-staff." Lana pointed the weapon drawn on the Firefly's hand. Currently it looked like a staff with two handles sticking out of it._

"_I see… You said she is whispered throughout the history. Wouldn't she be really old then?" He couldn't help but tease the girl a bit and find a hole in her character's backstory._

"_Nope, she can warp through the time and space to be where-ever and when-ever she wants to be. And skip the boring parts."_

"_And skipping the boring parts is the most important thing?" This time Rosario grinned at the girl. He received a pout._

"_Not the _most_ important… But yeah… She'd meet a lot of people and tell them stories. And later she'd meet the same people when they are older but she isn't. Convenient don't you think?"_

"_And that's what you want to be? The Storyteller Firefly?"_

"_Yes!"_

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><p>Rosario poked gently the sitting marionette's head. It fell back for a moment and he could see the human-like face painted to resemble Lana's before the head fell forward again. In the hall the front door opened and a bit later a shadow appeared in the doorway.<p>

"Didn't I tell you not to come in this room?" Dominic's voice was menacing, angry and growling. Rosario turned around slowly. The light in the hallway was intruding into the shaded room and making the older of the two look like one big shadow.

"You were the one to kill Lana's friends." Rosario countered. It wasn't a question. Time of questions had been over a long time ago.

"She won't be lonely now~… Besides, her friends weren't the only ones."

At that moment the phone that Rosario still had in his hand buzzed, informing him about a new message. It was from Seno. The police were on their way. And three other places had been attacked. Marionette strings left all over the crime scenes.

"I see."

"And none of those places were the last ones either." Dominic chuckled.

"Wha-…" The younger man's words were cut short when a knife plunged into his stomach. He wanted to shout but the pain was too much. The older man's free hand curled around the blond head of the shorter man and stroked the younger brother's hair.

"Don't worry, Ros… You'll surely see her soon too. Firefly always will find who she wants to." The words were gentle, soft and almost comforting as they were whispered into his ear. And if Rosario hadn't been in such an agony (the knife was being twisted in the wound every now and then) he maybe… just maybe would've believed them.

Dominic pulled the knife out of his brother and let the young man fall on the floor. He stepped away from him – he'd be dead soon enough anyways – and pulled a rope attached to the ceiling down. A loop was tied to its end.

"Let's play hang man… We loved the game, didn't we Ros?" The only one alive chuckled. He casted one more glance at the fallen brother. Human instincts had caused Rosario to cough out the blood in his stomach and now his lips were stained red and trails of blood fell down his cheeks, creating a grotesque imitation of a smile on his face. "Or maybe I should call you Corazon, hm? Lana even made you that funny hat…"

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><p>"<em>Ros is like Rocinante." Lana laughed, placing the newly made hat on her brother's head. Rosario laughed along with her.<em>

"_Is that so? Are you Law then?" The middle brother took a look at the white teddy bear sitting on the girl's bed that Lana had named Bepo._

"_Sure thing. Law is cool. And Ros is always taking care about me, just like Rocinante took care of Law."_

"_And Dom? Is he then… Who was that person again?" Rosario didn't really know the plot of One Piece but he did know the relations of the characters._

"_Oh, you mean Doflamingo?" Lana frowned. "He is one insane character… He killed Rocinante… I don't like him. But I like Dom so…"_

"_Maybe Dom can be not insane Doffy…" Rosario suggested. "Didn't Rocinante want to help him?"_

"_Yeah… That's true…"_

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><p>"And if I get to the same place than you two…" Dominic smiled sadly. "I hope you can forgive my future actions." He glanced at the marionette with pink-feathered coat hanging in the middle row. "I hope you can stop me in time… And remember what I used to be…"<p>

And when the police officers busted the door in, they found the two brothers. One lying on the floor and one hanging from the ceiling, like the marionettes around the walls of the room.

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><p><strong>AN: I killed about everyone I introduced in this chapter. Only Seno is still alive. Aren't I mean?**

**The two other stops Dominic mentioned was Nancy's house and Aosato's place. Yeah, he snapped. but he was only thinking of Lana. I hate Doflamingo but I like Dominic... do you see my dilemma here?**

**I sure you can recognize all the counterparts to OP characters from this story so I probably don't need to go through them... And yeah, this is sort of reborn story but the amount of memories of the past life varies a lot. For example Zach, Petra, Nancy and Lucas don't remember anything. Dominic, Nicole, Satoshi and Mihail have some vague flashes. James, Isaac and Aosato have recollections but aren't sure what do they mean. Vivian, Samuel and Rosario remember the most while Lana remembers her entire life. This means that the Plot won't be disturbed.**

**The ages of these counterparts:**

**-Lucas: 7  
>-Lana, Samuel, Vivian, Nancy: 19<br>-Zachary, Isaac, Satoshi, Petra, Nancy's sister: 22  
>-Nicole: 24<br>****-Rosario: 29  
>-Dominic: 36<br>-James, Mihail: 37  
>-Aosato: 43<strong>

**Here this is... I shall now crawl into a hole and wait for your comments, 'kay? ;)**


	2. Ichi, Ni, Sun-Shine, Go!

**A/N: Hey! I'm back! I'm so glad to see the reviews to the first chapter but I'll answer to them on the bottom of this chapter. I don't really have anything special to say right now... I'll just let you read.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Ichi, Ni, Sunshine, Go!<strong>

Lana walked on. Was this afterlife? How boring… Only white and white and endless whiteness.

"I wonder… What is this supposed to be? They can't expect me to spend the rest of eternity here." The dark-haired girl mused aloud. It was weird to say the least. She remembered dying so vividly. She remembered the feeling of choking on her own blood until her lungs and heart couldn't handle it anymore. At least she'd been with her brothers when it happened…

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><p>She arrived at a levitating mirror. It was a simple square in the nothingness, hanging twenty centimeter from the groundfloor/platform-thingy. Lana looked at her reflection on its surface and gasped. She looked so much heathier. Her black hair, cut short a month ago, was shiny and silky. Her skin was still pale but it wasn't sickly and almost transparent anymore. She had more muscle mass than before and breathing… Ah, _breathing_… was wonderful. Lana drew salty air inside her lungs. The feeling of fresh air filling her was amazing.

Turning back to the mirror, she took a good look on her clothes. It was exactly like she had drawn on her sketch about the Firefly. A tight-fitting, black jacket with bright yellow sleeves and insides. Light blue skinny jeans with two brown circle patterns on both sides of her thighs. And boots. White boots with blue five centimeters high soles. Nice… Very nice.

"And…?" Lana twirled around so her back was towards the mirror. A smile crept on her face. There was the text '_Firefly_' on a loopy yellow cursive on the back. "Perfect."

But now when her outfit was checked out, she needed to know what was the point of all this. The girl turned back to face the mirror. There got to be some other function with it than admiring oneself. Lana was taking a step backwards to get a better look at the looking glass (if it even was glass here) when her shoe bumped into something, sending her on her butt.

"Ouch!" The girl exclaimed by reflex and realized then it hadn't really hurt. "I guess my butt isn't bony anymore…" She chuckled amusedly and got back on her feet. She glanced at the object at her feet that had just spontaneously appeared on the floor (or whatever it was). It was a bag. Her roundish shoulder bag that she used when still went on the lessons. Lana blinked. And blinked again. The bag still remained there. Black and yellow with a grey strap.

"I… do not know what to think." The black haired teen stated, her hands on her hips, and crouched down then to take a look inside of it: she needed to assess what she had in there.

* * *

><p>The first thing Lana pulled out of the bag was a cloak. Or was it a coat? It was brown and had a hood and could only be fastened by a round clip by the neck. Never mind… The girl set it neatly aside.<p>

Next was… Pineapple. Lana smiled brightly at the blue beady birdy and placed it gently a top of the cloak. Yeah, let's call it a cloak for now…

Then was the turn of a lot of little useful stuff. There was a log pose, an empty logbook, pens, a wristwatch, a simple knife…

"Oh…" Digging her hands into the bag (it was bigger on the inside), Lana fished out a pair of tonfas and a belt to have them at arms' reach all the time. "Cool!" The girl grinned and put the belt on her hips. She slipped the tonfas to the loops at the sides of the belt.

There wasn't much left on the bag anymore… A few books about navigation and space-time currents… Interesting… And then there was.

"It can't be…" Lana whispered, carefully taking out a marionette. It was her, the Firefly. Tears welled in her eyes. Dominic had finished it after all! Dom…

It took only one thought towards her home and the floodgates were open.

"I… I miss you all!" Lana wailed. And for an outsider it was quite comical sight. A girl in her late teens sitting in a weird white space and crying her eyes out. In anime style so it looked more like a water fountain in some park than a regular cry. Not that any fountains in parks looked like young girls in anguish…

* * *

><p>The tears subsided eventually into hiccups and then the hiccups were swallowed down too. Lana bit down on her lower lip stubbornly and swallowed a huge gulp of air. Drying her face and slapping her cheeks, she began packing up her bag again. Only log pose and wrist watch were left out with the cloak.<p>

"The watch to the left wrist and… the log pose to the right one I suppose. Why does it have to be so bulky?" The girl muttered in annoyance but shrugged. "Oh well…"

She took her bag and threw over the cloak. It was quite nice cloak now that she got a better look on it. It was comfy, easy to move in, seemed to be warm too (hard to say, since the temperature in the whiteness wasn't hot or cold) and (most important of all) wasn't ugly. While it was brown, it was a nice shade of brown. Sort of an earthy color…

"Okay, I'm ready to leave this place but could someone tell me how to do it?" Lana shouted towards… well, the part of the whiteness where the ceiling was supposed to be. As a reply… nothing happened. At least in a way that she'd noticed.

"Oi! Didn't you guys in the upstairs hear me?" The girl huffed before averting her eyes with a pout. She looked at the weird mirror-thingy in front of her again. She had been about to examine it, hadn't she? But then she'd been distracted by her bag.

"I wonder…" A slender arm reached forward and the hand at the end of that arm gently touched the cool surface of the glass pane (or whatever that mirror was made of). And slowly, eerily, the mirror turned around its vertical axis. Lana could only gape. It wasn't her reflection in there anymore. It was… blueness. Vast, blue sea far and down there. Bit like looking down from an airplane window. Lana remembered the one time she'd been in the plane and gone to Italy. That was what the ocean had looked like.

"A window to another world…?" Lana went to touch the rectangle again but this time her fingers didn't meet any surface. "Or just a hole." She smirked.

The girl backed up several steps while making sure there was nothing to trip her this time. While doing so, she noted there was now many other mirrors of different shape but roughly the same size than the one she was facing.

"I suppose those are portholes to other worlds then… Well, I'm not interested. This one it all I need." And she began running.

And she leapt.

"Ichi."

Another leap.

"Ni."

She landed on one feet, the other one taking a quick step forwards.

"Sun-shine."

And finally she jumped through the mirror/window/hole/portal.

"Go!"

* * *

><p>A moment of floating with the winds and admiring the sea where no islands were seen and only occasional shadow of a sea king closer to the surface appeared. And a pirate ship. How nice…<p>

"Wait? A pirate ship?!" Lana gasped. There was indeed one. Black sails and everything. Travelling east-wards.

And right on that moment – when her attention went to the ship – the girl began falling. Falling straight towards the ocean.

"Waaaaaaaaah! I'm falling! I don' wanna dieeeeeeeeee!" Her adventure hadn't even started yet and it was about to come to its end. Heck, she was about to die for the second time.

* * *

><p><strong>Aboard that pirate ship<strong>

Two cabin boys were mopping the deck whilst arguing about something or other. In no time the 'debate' had escalated to a duel with the mops. Although it seemed only the blue haired kid was taking it seriously while the red haired one went along with it just for the heck of it. Actually he seemed to have fun with the fight…

"Enough! Finish the mopping!" And the fair haired first mate of the ship came to break up the 'fight' and leave bumps on the boys' heads.

"Haaai." The duo chorused, the blue haired one with a glare and the red haired one with nonchalance. The man turned his back to them to head to the upper deck to supervise them. And as soon as he wasn't looking at them, the bluette growled at the redhead who just grinned at his 'friend'. But before either of the boys could continue with their task, and even before the first mate reached the step leading to the upper deck, something else attracted their attention.

"_Waaaaaaaaah! I'm falling! I don' wanna dieeeeeeeeee!"_ Echoed in distance. The trio standing on the deck turned instinctively to look towards the source of the voice. It was a blur in the sky, plummeting towards the ocean below.

"Is that a person?" The blue haired kid asked stupidly.

"I… think yes, it is." The red hair nodded. The two boys' gazes were fixed on the blur nearing the surface of the sea around twenty meters from the ship on the starboard side.

_**Splash!**_

"It actually was a person!" The bluey gasped but the other kid was already running towards the railing to jump after the 'blur'. The first mate had already fetched a rope and was looking into the water of any sign of the other cabin boy or the 'blur'.

"Buggy, go tell the captain that we are about to have a guest onboard."

"Yes sir!" And the boy, Buggy, who'd later be known as The Clown, scampered off as quickly as he could in his half-shocked state.

"Alright, Shanks… I know you can find her… We can't have losing the Firefly before she's even been introduced… Her story is just about to start." Rayleigh mused with a faint smile on his already aged face.

* * *

><p>It was dark in the waters as Shanks swam deeper. Still no glimpse on the 'blur'… Well, he supposed he shouldn't be calling the person that just fell into the water 'blur' but what could one do? Names simply stuck.<p>

"_There!"_ It was just a flap of the coat/cloak that attracted the boy's attention. The insides of the cloak were bright orange you see. And right in time she was spotted too: the red head was about to run out of oxygen already. Shanks kicked forward a couple of times and reached towards the figure floating the about three meters beneath the surface and steadily but slowly sinking. The boy could see now it was a girl a bit older than he and didn't seem injured despite hitting the water with such a force. Unconscious she was anyways.

The boy grabbed the girl around her waist and began swimming back towards the light. As soon as his head broke the surface and he got his first gulp of air, a rope was thrown next to him. Next to him the girl spluttered but didn't wake up yet. Taking a good hold on the rope, Shanks looked up at the ship. Rayleigh was there and so was the Captain and Buggy. And Crocus-san. Good.

* * *

><p>"The Firefly, eh?" Roger grinned when the girl had been carried to the infirmary to rest. Crocus had stated that she didn't seem to have any injuries… Even her neck had been intact despite her fall.<p>

"She did tell us she started her journey with us. That we were the very first people she met." Rayleigh nodded.

"I can't wait to hear what she has to tell." The captain of the ship continued, like he hadn't heard the first mate. "Last time she didn't really say much, just that next time – which is now – she'd live up to her reputation."

"Didn't you even listen to me? If this is where she started, then she most likely has some adjusting to do!"

The future king of pirates blinked a couple of times before grinning. "That's great!" And he calmly walked away, leaving Rayleigh shake his head in expiration.

* * *

><p>Lana blinked. And blinked again. She was waking up. Probably.<p>

"_Where am I?"_ Was the first thought she had. Naturally. She blinked a couple of more times until the room around her came to the focus. It looked like an infirmary of sorts. But nothing like the hospitals back home. Obviously, now that Lana slowly remembered that she was in another world. That she had died back in her own world.

The faint rocking motion also informed that she was most likely on a ship. And even more likely on that pirate ship she had seen. And considering the fact she was in an infirmary, the pirates must be good people. Somewhat good people. Because if they'd be bad people, she'd either A) be still in the ocean, B) be in the storage hold or a similar place or C) put into the sleeping quarters for the crew's entertainment. The last thought made Lana grimace. Thank god that hadn't happened.

"Awake, I see." An old man's voice stated from relatively nearby. Lana tensed for a moment until she located the source of the voice. It was an old man sitting by a desk and writing up something. And the old man suspiciously looked like…

"Crocus-san?"

"Yes, it has been a while, Firefly." The man nodded. Lana sat up carefully and leaned against the wall along which the bed had been positioned. She was feeling tired, bit like after being hospitalized. But this weariness was good. It told she was going to live. Before weariness meant she was going to hang on the thread a bit longer until it snapped.

"I suppose my reputation is exceeding me. Literally." The girl decided to choose her words carefully. If she really had the powers she'd designed, then it was entirely possible she'd met Crocus before. Well, the man had met her but she hadn't met him. Complicated, ne?

"Rayleigh warned me about it as soon as you were brought in." The doctor nodded sagely. Lana frowned.

"I'm onboard Oro Jackson, is that right?"

"Yes."

"What year is it?"

"1504."**(A/N: very rough estimation)**

"I see…" The girl crossed her arms on her chest and contemplated what she had just heard. She also noticed that her clothes were completely dry now. Good. But in any case she was onboard Oro Jackson where at least Rayleigh and Crocus already knew her. Probably Roger too… Well, it was good. They could fill her in about some basic knowledge she might lack. Like her movements in the past. While she already had a list of times and places she wanted to visit, it didn't hurt to confirm her own decisions…

"You aren't injured and don't seem that tired anymore so I suppose it won't hurt to bring you to meet the captain." Crocus closed the book he'd been writing to and slipped it into a desk drawer. Lana nodded absently and climbed off the bed. Stretching her stiff limbs, she followed the ship doctor out of the infirmary.

"How long were I asleep by the way?" The girl asked as they made their way to the deck and from there to the upper deck.

"Around three and half hours."

"…Just out of curiosity, how did the people here react to my presence?" Regardless of was it as the Firefly or as some random girl.

"Some were worried, especially Shanks-kun who fished you out of the water, and some were just curious on how one could drop into middle of the ocean from seemingly nowhere."

"Seemingly? You talk like you know something."

But Crocus just smiled and knocked the door they'd arrived to.

"Come in." Sounded from the room beyond it. The doctor opened the door and gestured Lana to enter.

* * *

><p>Two men were inside, bent over a map spread on the table. Two men Lana immediately recognized.<p>

"It seems I'll be as your guest for a while, Captain Roger." The girl smirked, crossing her arms over chest. She didn't feel scared at all. Roger pirates were good guys after all.

"Ah! Miss Firefly!" Roger looked up from the map as she spoke and quickly rounded the table to greet the girl. "It's great to see you!"

Lana grinned. "I suppose so. But I have to admit…"

"That this is the first time to meet us." Rayleigh interrupted.

"Exactly." The girl snapped her fingers at the first mate's direction.

"I told you Roger. She is a newcomer."

"Aww…" Adult man pouting? Well, that's a sight not to see often. Lana chuckled at the face the captain was making. Roger sobered quickly enough though and was talking cheerily to Lana again. "In any case you are welcome to stay as long as you need to on Oro Jackson."

"Thank you. Good that I found you guys instead of some other people. I can get used to this world and get a hung on my abilities. Am I guessing right if I assume you are aware of what I can do?" The girl questioned.

"The first time we met… was quite interesting." Rayleigh mused before walking up to the girl and shake hands with her.

"I hold on your word on that."

"C'mon, let's introduce you to the crew. They have been anxious to meet you ever since you were fished out." Roger was already tugging the duo out of the office/captain's room while Crocus chuckled at the doorway.

"I heard so." Lana smirked as she allowed herself to be guided to the galley. Rayleigh only grumbled out how he was also being pulled along. The girl followed amusedly at their behavior. They reminded her of one other pirate captain and his first mate who would sail the seas in future.

* * *

><p>The introductions were messy business. Everyone were pushing closer to tell their name and barrage her with questions. Lana herself was introduced just as Lana. No Firefly business yet. Let the crew get used to her presence first and she practice her abilities. That was Rayleigh's idea. And Lana wholeheartedly agreed with him. Roger had protested but had been silenced soon enough. While he <em>was <em>the captain of the ship, some decisions were better off when they were run through the first mate.

"How did you fall to the sea?"

"Where are you from?"

"Who exactly are you?"

"You seem to know captain and first mate, when did you meet?"

"Do you have a bounty yet?"

Lana found herself surrounded by the Roger Pirates in the galley. Apparently it was dinner time so about everyone was there. And now there was questions after questions thrown at her. And she answered.

"I just did. Splash."

"Hmm… North Blue might be the closest guess."

"Just a traveler."

"Not that I know of."

The dinner was delicious. And considering the last time Lana had eaten was lunch three hours before her death, she was hungry. Whilst eating she continued chatting about everything and anything with the people around her, especially Shanks. It was somewhat funny that the person who'd be Yonko in the future and the inspiration of Monkey D Luffy was now a just a teen, younger than Lana at that!

"Hey, Shanks was it?" She called to the red head that was sitting a distance away from her.

"Yeah?" The boy looked up with a smile.

"I heard you fished me out of the water." Lana leaned her elbows against the table.

"That I did." Shanks grinned.

"Thank you a lot. Do you happen to know where my bag is? And my cloak for that matter."

"Oh, they're… Oi, Buggy, where did you take Lana's stuff?" The teen hollered to the other end of the table where the blue-haired and red-nosed boy was eating.

"I took that flashy stuff to the infirmary after the doc allowed me to step in. Shooed me flashily away right after though." The clown in making stated and continued eating.

"Well, that's good to know." Lana nodded absently. "I need to check that nothing is damaged though…"

"Do you remember the way back to the infirmary? I've already eaten so I can take you there." Shanks offered.

The Firefly considered that. She had been taken to the Captain's office at first and back then she'd been talking with Crocus so she hadn't really paid any attention to the route. And then she'd been led straight to the galley when Roger had been distracting her with his chatter all the time.

"That'd be nice, thank you Shanks."

* * *

><p>The pair exited the galley and made their way back to the infirmary. There, Crocus merely pointed at the bright yellow bag on the chair by the door and the cloak neatly folded underneath it. For Lana's delight, they both were completely dry and no water had gone inside the bag either.<p>

"Hey, I don't have a deck duty today anymore so would you like to have a tour on the ship?" Shanks asked when Lana finished checking the contents of the bag and folded the cloak inside of it.

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do and if I'm to stay here for a while, it's better to know where to go to find anything." The girl chuckled. It was contagious. Soon Shanks was laughing too.

"Alright, if you are just dilly-dallying, you can do it elsewhere." Crocus growled and threw the two out to the deck, slamming the door shut behind them. The raven-haired shared a glance with the red head, before they both burst out in resounding laugh. Neither of them noticed the captain and first mate on the upper deck and fondly observing them.

* * *

><p>Lana adjusted to the routine on the ship quite quickly. She'd been given a separate guest room so she didn't need to sleep with the rest of the crew and while she didn't need to help around the ship, she did it anyways. She was happy to help. Everything was so new and interesting to her. And for the first time in her life… erm, when she lived… she actually felt <em>alive<em>.

On days she chatted with the people on the ship but on nights she used in getting a hang on her abilities. With that Rayleigh was helping. He had made notes on what he'd heard during the travels on the Firefly and from those he'd been able to discover what exactly she did. Smart bastard.

So Lana spent most of the nights by 'warping' across the ship, improving in speed and technique. Since she had designed her own abilities, she already had the basic understanding but it didn't mean her body could keep up with them. And that's what Rayleigh was for. And for the combat training though that took place in day time.

* * *

><p>It was one night when she didn't have training and Lana was sitting in the crow's nest with Shanks who had the watch of the night. It was a beautiful, starry lit sky with only faintest of clouds. The ocean was still and there was no islands or ships in sight. The boy was leaning against the mast on the port side while Lana took the starboard side. They were sitting still and not saying a thing. They didn't need to: it was so peaceful they could just let thoughts wander and thus the time would pass.<p>

"Hey, Shanks…" Lana began, clutching her hand into a fist. This was as good time as any to test her other ability.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to hear a story?" The palm was opened and a plethora of little glowing balls floated up to provide more light. They were Fireflies. And Shanks remembered the whispers he'd heard back home in West Blue. Whispers that he'd heard on all the Blues and the Grand Line even. It was a warning to anyone who encountered the Firefly, the Storyteller, the Clairvoyant, the Daughter of Time and Sea… Whatever she was called… With wide eyes he turned to look at the girl and her turned back as the tiny glowing orbs surrounded them. Never in his life had he been this scared and intrigued. To think the Firefly was _here_ of all places. He couldn't speak as he remembered the warning.

_"When the Firefly comes, listen carefully what she has to say.  
>It doesn't matter whether it's night or day.<em>  
><em>If she tells you a story of past, it's a warning of a disaster coming.<em>  
><em>If she tells you a story of future, it's a sign of the tides unstoppably turning.<em>  
><em>No matter what she tells, remember it carefully. The stories are all true.<em>  
><em>No matter what you think, she never tells a lie.<br>And while she might bring disaster, she is neer cruel._  
><em>So when she comes and asks: 'Do you want to hear a story?'<br>__**That right never deny**__."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright! I'm so done! \o/  
><strong>

**Couple of things now...**

**1. I have no freaking idea of the actual appropriate date of Lana's arrival I can only say that it was between one to three years prior Roger's excecution since Crocus is on board.  
>2. Lana has no idea that the folks back home are dead. She won't know for a long time.<br>3. I realized a day after posting the first chapter that Mihail and James are way too young... They shall be 40 from now on. Okay? And Aosato is 41 after all.  
>4. ...I have a feeling I'm going to have troubles in making Lana strong enough to survive OP without making ehr a Mary Sue. Well, wish me luck.<br>5. I might be stumbling around a bit with how much to use English and Japanese terms. You are welcome to help me out with you opinions.**

**Review replies:**

**-Luffy' sister:  
>I made you cry? I suppose that is a good thing... After I killed the protagonist right on the start. And then everyone else.<br>I'm glad you recognized Dom as Doffy. I tried not to me too obvious with it at start but the murder method pretty much gave it away later. :) Gaah, Lana's going to have troubles later because she loves Dominic dearly but hates Doffy...**

**-Oxenstierna D. Yuki-Rin:  
>Thank you very much :D<strong>

**-grandprincessanastasiaromanov5:  
>thanks ;)<strong>

**-angelvt:  
>Thank you very much! The update is here! XD<strong>

**-terfa:  
>As you can see, the interractions are here. I hope they are in character. ;D<strong>

**()**

**Alright, I'm off to bed now. Night-y night! I hope you review!**


	3. The beginning and the end

**A/N: And here's the next chapter. This is a bit song fic-y. I do not own the lyrics of the song. In this chapter there're several scenes, so I can properly kick this fic going. :) But go and read! (and review) I'll talk more at the end note.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: The beginning and the end<strong>

_Let the rain fall down, let it fall to the ground,  
>Let the rain fall down to the ground.<br>And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound,  
>When you're six feet underground.<em>

Shanks stared at the girl occupying the crow's nest with him. No words were coming out from his mouth. The Fireflies around them hovered still. The boy didn't know what to say. Should he let her tell a story? The warning said so. Should he confirm her identity first? After all he couldn't be sure… Hmph, who was he kidding. Of course she was the Storyteller. No one else could make those light balls with a flick of their hand. **(A/N: Ahem, Hotarubi anyone?)**

"I don't know what you have heard of me but know that things always get exaggerated and twisted during the course of history." The young woman spoke with chuckle. "Right now I only want to tell a story to pass time. Do you want to hear it?"

"A-Alright…"

"Well, which one would be good…? This is the first story I'm telling you see…"

Shanks could only gape her in shock. "F-First…?"

"Yes. The Firefly goes from sea to sea from time to time and not necessarily in any particular order. This is the first place I'm and this is the first story I tell." She answered with a shrug. "Let's see…

"_There is a young little young living in a little village. The village is peaceful surrounded by peaceful ocean. But it is an ocean power of which should not be underestimated. The boy has big dreams, bigger than himself. He wants to be a pirate, the greatest of them all. People of the village aren't sure where he got those dreams to his head, the boy's grandfather was a marine after all, and no matter how much they try to convince him otherwise, the boy's head will not turn…"_

The Fireflies danced around them as Lana continued her story. It was a perfect one. It was vague enough not to change the course of the real story but when the events told actually happened, people could recognize them as they were.

"_Maybe part of the impossibility of the task was that they do not understand why the boy wanted to be a pirate. Was it the treasure? Maybe. Was it the fights? No. Was it the adventure? Partly. Was it defying the law and rules? Close._

"_Most of all, the boy wanted trusted Nakama to share adventure and freedom with. Because the greatest pirate of the seas is the one with most freedom, not the one who is strongest or has conquered the most. The greatest pirate… No, the greatest man of the seas is something to truly chase after. But the villagers doesn't understand that. They are land dwellers. They are content with their life at their small community. They have all they want. But the boy wants more. He wants to see everything there is. He wants to chase dreams instead of being bound and chained by rules and responsibility."_

* * *

><p>Down at the deck Roger and Rayleigh were watching the light show while the girl's voice carried to them. They were fascinated by the story she was telling.<p>

"What a little boy…" Rayleigh hummed. "I wonder if we'll ever meet him on these seas…"

"You might, Ray, but we both know that I don't have that much time. Story like that is far in the future." Roger chuckled. "But I could see him chasing after the legacy I'm planning to leave behind."

"_One day a group of pirates docks at the village's small port of fishing boats, led by their one-armed captain. The little boy is excited. He wants to go with them on the seas. His exact dream isn't fully formed yet, but he knows he wants freedom. So he listens to the stories the pirates tell and cheers when they show off their skills. A year the pirates stay around the waters of the village, visiting regularly. A year the boy has time to build up his determination. A year the captain denies the boy's request to join his crew. The boy is too young to understand the dangers of the sea. He needs to grow up first. That's what the captain thinks._

"_Then it is the time for the pirates to leave the town. The boy has had time to mull over everything he has learnt during the year and thus he declares his dream to the captain. He will become the greatest of the pirates. And he will show the captain how strong he is. He will be freer than anyone else. And the captain smiles. It is a promise. A promise that will shake the world as the time passes. And the captain doesn't doubt a single second the boy's words. "Become great and we'll meet again." The captain says before the ship leaves. The boy cries when the sails disappear behind the horizon but he knows that isn't the end. No, it is just a little pause before the beginning of his own adventure."_

The Fireflies gathered on Lana's palms and she closed them. When the hands opened again, the lights were gone. The girl glanced at the red head behind her and smiled faintly at seeing him dozing off.

"Good night, Shanks-kun."

* * *

><p><em>Well they cast me out when the word spread around<br>That I never sang in the church.  
>And it took one night for the town to decide<br>I'm afflicted by the curse._

They were on the Grand Line. So Lana had heard. And there was already some time from the previous docking. So it was time to resupply on an island. The girl let the crew handle it while she just walked around the island and once stopped to tell a story to the children of the village. It was the same story she'd told Shanks but it didn't harm anyone if she told it more times. The stories were meant to be passed on even though only one person could be the Firefly.

The looks on the children's faces were so precious when they saw the glowing lights. They were too young to know the legend yet but they were sure to tell their parents and hear about the legend from them. But it didn't matter. Didn't matter at all…

"You two found everything you were sent to get?" Lana jogged to catch up with Shanks and Buggy.

"Yep!" The red head grinned under the straw hat that shielded him from the scorching heat and sun. It was a bit comfortable for Lana since she had never really needed to endure extreme heat but they were on a summer island so what could she do.

Like sensing the girl's discomfort, Shanks took off the hat from his head and placed it on Lana's short, black locks.

"Give it back when we get to the ship." The boy smiled.

"Thank you… But won't the heat bother you now?"

"Naw… I'm used to. My home island on West Blue is similar in climate." was the response accompanied by a grin. Lana found herself smiling back. That was until…

"Don't lag behind you flashy bastards!" Buggy yelled at them from distance he'd walked while the duo had stopped to talk.

"Yeah, yeah!" Shanks shouted back and they walked to catch up with the clown-y boy.

* * *

><p><em>And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground.<br>And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound.  
>So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,<br>Do they all get to live, and I have to die?_

Lana took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The permission to come in was almost immediate. The girl opened the door and stepped into the captain's office. Roger was waiting for her, his hands clasped behind his back and looking out of the window.

"You asked to see me, Captain." She stated as soon as the door was closed behind her.

"I did…" Roger began. "There's something I wanted to ask from you, Firefly." The man turned around and went to sit on his chair by the desk. He gestured Lana to take the other chair opposite him. One that Rayleigh most likely occupied usually.

"Am I right if I assume it has something to do with my knowledge of the future?" Lana asked.

"Yes… You know as well as any other person on this ship that I don't have that much of time left. You know well what will happen to me even if I haven't even made a definitive decision about that plan…" At this the future Pirate King paused to glance at her. To know if her face was betraying any information. It wasn't.

"Go on." The girl simply said.

"When it is my time to go, will you come and answer to one question about the future that I'll have by then. Even I don't know what that question will be but I'm sure you'll know the answer."

"…" At first Lana didn't say anything but then her eyes softened and she broke out a gentle smile. She had an idea what that question would be. "Of course… Of course I'll come, old man Goldie."

* * *

><p><em>So they marched me down to the center of town,<br>With their pitchforks high in the air.  
>I was chained and bound with a blindfold around<br>So the judge wouldn't catch my stare.  
>And they hung my soul from the gallows pole<br>But the witch they never found.  
>So to those who don't fit society's mold,<br>Learn to swim or you will drown._

* * *

><p><em>And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground.<br>And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound.  
>So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,<br>Do they all get to live, and I have to die?_

Lana had been thinking of leaving for a while already. Looking up at the sky, she decided today was as good as any day. It was a bit sad to leave the Roger Pirates behind but it was time for her to start her own journey.

"What are you thinking?" Shanks had managed to find her again. It was almost impossible to get away from the boy. But it didn't matter. He was nice company after all.

"I was thinking about continuing my journey. There is a lot to see." Lana replied, not removing her gaze from the clear sky.

"Oh…" The reply came quietly. The girl opened her mouth to say something. Anything. Shanks was upset about her decision to leave. That much was obvious to her. So naturally she should say something. But what? She'd leave soon anyways she had no plans on meeting the kid(because that's what he was) any time soon on his timeline. Thankfully she didn't need to think too long since a welcome distraction was announced from the crow's nest.

"Ship ho!" followed soon by: "It's Moby Dick!"

* * *

><p><em>And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine,<br>Dry the teardrops from my eyes.  
>And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,<br>'Cause the dead can't testify.  
>And because I can't take an eye for an eye,<br>In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!_

Lana grabbed her tonfas and glanced at the corner of the deck where her back and cloak were. The Roger Pirates were scurrying around and preparing for the battle. Not that it could be called that. According to Shanks they were more like rivals with the Whitebeard Pirates than enemies. Marines disagreed naturally but who cared about their opinions? (Rest of the world but that was beside the point.)

"You going to fight too?" The red head asked, while drawing his saber with his left hand.

"Yup. I can't wait to test my skills in an actual fight." And release some pent up frustration. While being on the hip and sailing around was nice, in the long run it was quite cooped up space. "And this is a fight were I don't need to aim for a kill or grievous injure. I don't know how I could actually fare in a one like that…"

Shanks grinned. He agreed. And with his frenemy Buggy on his side, he fared well in the fight. The two, while the squabbled constantly, could fight together very well.

* * *

><p>Pirates jumped back and forth. Rogers to the Moby Dick and the Whitebeards to Oro Jackson. The 'battle' was ongoing on the decks of both ships. Lana saw Shanks take on Thatch (the fourth division commander) while Buggy encaged into a battle with some more generic pirate. Scopper Gaban had Vista (the fifth division commander) as his opponent and somewhere on the upper deck, she could hear Rayleigh clash with Marco the Phoenix. Whitebeard and Roger in the other hand… Well, they were just watching. It wasn't their time to duel yet.<p>

The girl herself was weaving through the fighters, delivering blows and dodging attacks. Roger had once jokingly said that her fighting style resembled a dance. Well, Lana used to be a good dancer. Back in her world she was interested in all sorts of arts. She drew and wrote. She helped Dominic to make clothes for the marionettes. She sang songs she heard from the radio and while she wasn't exceptional, her voice was enjoyable to hear. Not that she sang much due her lungs. And with Vivian, she used to go on dance lessons before her illness had been diagnosed. Sports had never been her strongest point but dancing she'd always found enjoyable.

There was Kairouseki at the tip of the tonfas. Lana found it useful. One never knew when they encountered a devil fruit user. At Roger's crew there weren't many but the girl had given a proper beating once or twice to Buggy when he'd been extremely annoying. But now and here, she knew Whitebeard's crew had several 'monsters', like the rest of the world _oh-so-fondly_ called them.

A sword swung towards her and sailed over her head as she dodged it. Lana side-stepped to the right, to the less guarded side of the man, before driving the end of the tonfa to his gut with _hante-mochi_ grip. Switching the hold on her chosen weapon in her left hand to _gyakute-mochi_, she still made her way on the man's left side. Her right hand struck right below the ribs while left hand swung the weapon at the man's neck. The pirate fell down.

Not long after another took his place and Lana was forced to block the next attack with _tokashu-mochi_ and twist it aside. While it was quite tedious, it was also quite fun. The girl could see about every pirate in sight grinning or smirking secretly underneath the battle cries.

"I need to get going…" Lana muttered as her latest opponent found another Roger Pirate to fight with. She herself had promptly disappeared behind the corner where her stuff was. The girl slipped her weapons on the loops on her belt and pulled her bag over her head. Cloak wasn't thrown on her shoulders yet but nevertheless she made her way to the upper deck, from where she could see Roger finally fighting with Whitebeard. When turning her head towards the front of the OJ, she could also see Rayleigh exchanging blows with Marco who kept switching in and out of his phoenix form. Down at the deck Shanks was still fighting with Thatch. Yes, this was the right time to leave.

"Oi, old man Goldie!" The girl yelled, halting the battle of the captains for a moment.

"Yes?" Roger yelled back.

"I'm going now." There was no need to yell anymore. The clang of blades and shots of guns seemed to die down when in reality the fights were still in full swing.

"Alright." The future pirate king waved cheerily before aiming an attack at Whitebeard again, keeping the other captain's attention off her. Not that he was extremely successful.

"Gurarara! Never I thought to find the Firefly on your ship, Roger."

"It was a surprise to me too."

"Liar."

"Is that so?"

"Thanks for everything, old man." Lana grinned. Then she caught the eye of Rayleigh. The first mate just nodded to her in acknowledgement and focused on his duel then. The girl cast one last glance on the deck and jumped in the air, warping away.

* * *

><p><em>And the rain falls down, let it fall to the ground<br>(Let teardrops hit the ground!)  
>And the birds don't sing, no they don't make a sound<br>(When you're six feet underground!)  
>So I look to the sky, tell me why, tell me why,<br>Do they all get to live, and I have to die?_

The boot-clad feet hit the ground as Lana landed in a crouch. She was somewhere in East Blue. That much she knew for certain. And she was further in the past. But it was alright. It was according to her plan. Before going to see 'the end', she wanted to see 'the beginning'. And right on cue, she heard the voice she was searching for.

"Hey! That's some ship you've got there!" A young man with a backpack and a straw hat yelled to a strawberry blonde man lying relaxedly on the deck of a small ship. Deck which was filled with all sorts of stuff.

"Oh, this? I stole it…" The blonde answered, giving an unimpressed look on the man before him. "My house was burned down, so this is where I live now."

"I see! What's your name?" The strawhatted youth continued with great enthusiasm, not caring at all the cold shoulder coming towards him.

"…Rayleigh." The name was said with reluctance. Lana chuckled as she watched the interactions from the shadow of the woods.

"Well, I'm Roger! This meeting must be fate, Rayleigh! What do you say to turning the world upside down with me?!"

"The world?" The idea left the future 'Dark King' speechless for a moment. But only for a moment. "Hahahah! Who the hell are you, anyway? Get outta here!"

Lana threw her cloak on her shoulders and pulled the hood up. Then she made her way to the duo.

"Well, that would be a pity, wouldn't it? I think you'd make a fine pair to defy the common law and order." She told them, earning their undivided attention.

"And who are you then?" Rayleigh asked with arched eyebrows behind his round glasses. Lana just grinned, the hood effectively shadowing the top-half of her face.

"Hey, wanna join us for an adventure?" Roger continued the stream of question that was to come.

"Who said was joining you?!" Rayleigh was immediately arguing back. And the girl couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, but no. I'm just a wandering traveler. You wouldn't be able to keep up with me." She explained. "But trust me, you two can definitely turn the world on its head."

Her words were met with silence as she sat on the ground, opposite the boat Rayleigh occupied.

"Who are you?" The blonde asked again when Roger took a place next to the girl.

"Hmm… Who do you think I am?" Lana countered.

"Are you… by any chance…" Roger had an idea but he fell silent then, processing the possibilities.

"The Traveler." Rayleigh supplied. "Or the Storyteller. It solely depends on which side of the world you are and a different name is given. But it always means the same person."

"The Firefly is most common though." The straw hat wearing man stated.

"Correct. Would you like to hear a story though?"

* * *

><p><em>And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine,<br>Dry the teardrops from my eyes.  
>And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,<br>'Cause the dead can't testify.  
>And because I can't take an eye for an eye,<br>In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!_

Lana was hiding in the shadows as she listened Garp talking with imprisoned Pirate King. Roger was smiling, just like he was about always. At least Lana remembered him constantly smiling.

"… But a child who is yet to be born bears no sin, Garp!" Roger spoke. "The two of us have nearly killed each other so many times… We're like old pals now, aren't we?! I trust you as much as I'd trust my own crewmates! Protect my child!"

"Absolutely preposterous!" Garp barked while sweatdropping.

"No… You'll do it, I know you will! I leave my child in your hands!"

After Garp left, Lana waited a moment before stepping out of the shadows.

"I came like I promised…" She stated. "Old man Goldie.

"Hello… Lana. I've been waiting for you." Roger grinned. Lana smiled back and took a seat on the dusty prison floor.

"I can believe that." The girl laced her fingers together and leaned her elbows against her knees. "And if I remember correctly… I believe you had a question to ask."

"Yes. What will happen to them? What will happen to Rouge and our child?"

"…" At first Lana didn't know how to answer to the question. But considering that Roger would die soon… "Let's say that a bit over a year and Rouge will join you. She'll be exhausted after prolonging Ace's birth for so long…"

"Is that so…?" The Pirate King fell quiet.

"As for Ace… What if I tell you a story?" The girl smiled. "When I was at Oro Jackson, you no doubt heard the story about the little boy with big dreams…

"_Well, that boy has a brother in all but blood. Fiery tempered idiot that will become a great pirate too. When the kid is met for the first time, he is cursing his own existence, living in the mids of a forest at the edge of a corrupt kingdom. The kid has a friend too, and together those two are stealing money and valuables so they can buy a ship when they are old enough…_

"_At first the fiery kid wanted nothing to do with the little boy, downright wanting him dead. But when the time passed, they eventually became inseparable from each other and the third brother. Yes, the three of them became brothers after toasting sake. They became a family…"_

* * *

><p><em>And the angels sing: let it shine, let it shine,<br>Dry the teardrops from my eyes.  
>And the bells will ring when the blind lead the blind,<br>'Cause the dead can't testify.  
>And because I can't take an eye for an eye,<br>In the afterlife I'll haunt you 'till you die!"_

Roger was on the execution platform. He was smiling, jokingly asking the executioners if the shackles could be removed.

"HEY! PIRATE KING!" Someone yelled from the crowd. "What did you do with your treasure? It's somewhere in the Grand Line, isn't it? You have it, don't you? The greatest treasure in the world?!"

Despite the executioners' best efforts to get that spectator to shut up, they didn't succeed.

"Your one special treasure? ONE PIECE!"

"My treasure…" Roger tasted the word with a wide smile on his face. The same smile every D carrier in the world shared. "If you want it, I'll let you have it. Go look for it." The blades pierced the chest of the Greatest Pirate of the Era but the smile didn't falter. What the Marines and World Government had tried to succeed with the public execution was turned upside down. The crowd cheered and all around the world men and women began preparing to sail the seas. The Great Pirate Ear had begun.

* * *

><p>Lana turned away from the plaza. She idly noted Dracule Mihawk in the crowd. Was he already the world's greatest swordsman? Probably not. Rain began to fall and the girl hurried under cover. When she looked to distance, towards the docks, she could see the two cabin boys from Oro Jackson talking with each other before going to their separate ways.<p>

"I need a hat…" She muttered, pulling her hood to cover her face better. "Hey, kid, do you know any clothing shops open today?"

A boy, maybe around twelve years old, started at the sudden, direct addressing, before looking up at Lana and her cloaked figure.

"Yeah…" He nodded warily. The boy was wearing a wine red shirt and green jacket with rolled sleeves, and blue jeans. His hair was strangely white.

"Good, would you mind showing me the way?"

"Why should I?" But the boy had already begun walking away, obviously wanting to get as far away from her as possible. Lana followed him with a smile on her face. He was such an amusing kid.

"Because I'm not a bad person."

"Anyone can say that." The boy snorted.

"Yes, but only few truly mean it."

"How can I know you are not a pirate? There's certainly enough of them here today."

"I'm not. I do travel but I'm not after treasure."

"Who are you then?" The boy glanced over his shoulder at her.

"…Just a wanderer. Now, kid, guide me to the shop and I'll tell you a story as a thanks. I'm sure you'll like that one. It tells about the Righteous Marine."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So... Here was this chapter. I hope you like the way Lana will tell the stories. About Shanks's behavior in this chapter... Yeah, he had a crush on Lana. She noticed it too, but was unsure what to do with it.**

**Graah, writing fighting scenes is so hard... I hope I don't need to write one any time soon. But we met Kid!Smoker in this chapter. He'll appear in the next one too and Lana will tell him the story.**

**Replies to Reviews:**

**-MadnessIsAMust:  
>Thank you very much. You review made me really happy.<br>Don't worry about CC... That note is mostly so people won't send downright flames. :)**

**-Luffy's sister:  
>Thanks, I like them too. It's a pity we don't know much about them yet. Only Shanks, Buggy and Rayleigh. Then there's Seagull and Scopper Gaban but they don't really count because all we know about them is their appearances and names...<strong>

**-paigemitchell98:  
>Thanks, the chapter is here. ;D<br>Romance? Well... I have it planned out. There will be _some_... but not on the main focus. As you saw in this chapter, Shanks had a crush on Lana but it didn't progress anywhere from that. Later Lana will find the one she's been waiting for but not for a long, long time. As for canon characer pairings... I don't really dare to touch them. Some vague mentions might appear but not that much either.**

**-Chitsuki-Tokiwa:  
>Thank you very much for your review! 3<strong>


	4. Float along, little glass bottle

**A/N: This chapter is a bit longer I see... And songfic-y. I couldn't resist. Sorry not sorry. I do not own Vocaloid or Regret Message.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Flow along, little glass bottle<strong>

_In a little port on the outskirts of town  
>A young girl stands alone.<br>By the sea, there existed  
>An old tradition from long before<em>.

Lana twirled her new hat in her hands and smiled up at the sky. The hat was actually a cap made of black corduroy. She had found it from the shop the kid version of future White Hunter had showed her. From that shop, the traveler girl had also found a nice pair of goggles and black leather gloves. And the prices were down in celebration!

The girl was leaning against a rock and holding a fishing rod steady with her foot. The sky was bright and clear blue up there and wind blew gently on her face. Everything was perfect…

"Hey, you promised me a story." The kid sitting next to her jabbed her sharply between her ribs. Lana let out a hiss but otherwise didn't react.

"I'll give you one… As soon as we have something to eat. I'm hungry but I don't know about you." The girl replied and let her hood fall down.

"Why don't we go to some restaurant at the city?"

"I'm not paying for your food. And I'm capable of cooking. And I want to fish right now." The last point was the most important one.

Smoker – it was weird to call the kid that since he didn't… well, smoke – slumped in defeat but didn't stop glaring her. Lana chuckled. The glare reminded her of one other kid that she was going to go and meet in future. One who'd be born in a year or so…

"Ah, fish!" The end of the rod was being yanked towards the water and Lana grabbed a hold just in time before their dinner would be lost. "Com'ere, yeh ocean-dwellah."

* * *

><p>The fire crackled as the fish was being cooked. Grilled… Or simply burnt.<p>

"Here you are." Lana gave a stick with half of the fish to kid-Smoker. Yeah, that was easier to think him as.

"…Thanks." With the way the boy's stomach had churned, the kid was definitely hungry by now.

"You're welcome." The storyteller grinned as she bit down on her fish-stick. And burnt her mouth. "Aaaaah, it burns!"

Kid-Smoker snorted and took carefully a bite from his own food.

"Now… I promised you a story, didn't I?"

"Yeah, about a marine."

"And not about any marine. It's about the Righteous Marine with a true sense of honor."

"Aren't all marines like that?" The kid frowned. Lana looked at him thoughtfully before looking out at the sea. The sun was about to set in the next hour or so…

"You have to understand that even pirates and marines are human. And like any human they can be good or bad or even both. Just like the definition of Justice depends on the person interpreting the word…"

"…" Kid-Smoker continued eating without taking his eyes off the storyteller.

"So you need to understand that there are two types of pirates in this world. Peace Mains and Morganeers. Peace Mains sail the seas for the sake of adventure and freedom while Morganeers pillage towns and cause deliberately harm and chaos. Those two groups of pirates clash often with each other since Peace Mains rather steal their money from Morganeers and Morganeers in the other hand don't think Peace Mains as real pirates… Well, actually Peace Mains don't think Morganeers as real pirates either… In any case, often people don't see the difference between those two types. Marines might even put a bounty on a person who beats up pirates only because they are pirates too…" Lana opened her fisted hand and released the Fireflies into the darkening night. The boy in front of her looked up at them in awe.

"_At first the Righteous Marine didn't see the difference between the pirates. He hunted down every single one that stepped on his territory. He thought every pirate was the same. But he also knew that orders that came from above weren't absolute even though he had to obey them to the dot. He trusted no-one but himself and the men he hand under his command._

"_It changed though. One stormy day a pirate, Peace Main by nature stepped on the soil of the Marine's town. Like usual, the Righteous Marine tried to capture him. He failed though. The circumstances were against the soldiers of Justice and the young Pirate boy got away with his crew. But not before leaving his mark on the Marine. No, it was nothing physical. The Marine wasn't hurt in anyway. It was an impression. A strong impression of freedom that the Marine couldn't understand. All his life and career he'd labelled pirates as the scum of the earth but now… One teenage boy shouted that he'd become the next Pirate King, miraculously surviving the attempt in which two other pirate crews, Morganeers, tried to take his life._

"_So the crew of Peace Mains got away, like the nature itself wanted them to survive. But the Marine wasn't going to give up. He wanted to capture that boy and his crew. Maybe he had a feeling that the boy would turn this world on its head. Or maybe he wanted to understand better the very nature of being a pirate. The nature that made some real pirates and some just scumbags that are no better than common thieves and murderers._

"_The Righteous Marine gathered his trusted men and set sail to chase the Pirates. Eventually he caught up with them. At a kingdom at the brink of war. War between king and his subjects. One side believed something while the other thought something else. And pulling strings behind all this was another pirate. Strong, infamous pirate with the protection of the World that he had draped over his shoulders like a cape. No one could stop that man. Except the Peace Main boy. The boy who went and beat up the Pirate controlling the opinion of the masses._

"_On that night, the Righteous Marine's right hand woman found the Peace Main crew lying on the streets of the capital city, exhausted from their fights against the power-hungry Pirate and his sub-ordinates. The young swordswoman ordered the men leave the crew alone. It was because the pirates had succeeded in something the Marines should've done. And despite all this, it was the Marines who got the honor and glory of saving the kingdom. It was the day when both the Righteous Marine's and the Young Swordswoman's eyes opened to the truth of the system they served. They also settled in peace to contemplate on the enigma that was the Peace Main crew. The boy captain of which had stated in the middle of fights that he didn't hate the Righteous Marine for doing his job._

"_The Righteous Marine continued his chase. Even when the pirate boy disappeared for two years, the Marine was waiting, knowing the boy wouldn't just die or give up. He waited and when the Peace Main crew was assembled again to continue their journey, the Righteous Marine was ready for them. Ready to chase them again, for his own Justice this time, not for anyone else's."_

The story ended and the Fireflies gathered together again. Lana had already eaten her fish. Kid-Smoker was nodding off with the half-eaten half of a fish in his hands. The girl chuckled.

"Become a good Marine, Hakuryou no Smoker-kun…"

* * *

><p><em>"Write your wish on a piece of parchment<br>And place it in a little bottle.  
>If you let it flow with the sea, someday<br>Your wish will come true"_

Lana landed in a half crouch in the middle of woods. When standing up, she idly brushed off dust from her coat/cloak. With a grin, the girl lifted her goggles a top of her cap.

"Heh, I was right. These goggles definitely help me navigating in the time-space. The winds are quite difficult in there." The girl mused before pulling her hood up. It was time to go and visit yet another place.

The cloaked girl walked down the path leading to the village by the sea. Foosha was its name. True to its name, there was windmills on the little hills around that bathed in sunlight. It was a pretty sight.

Once arriving to the village, some people around looked at her curiously as she walked by. No wonder. After all she was coming from the direction of the mountains and might've looked kinda suspicious… Lana walked through the little village until she came to a bar with the sign 'Party's Bar' above the door.

"Hello? Anyone here?" The traveler called from the doorway as she found the bar empty. About immediately a young woman came from the back of the bar to the counter. Dark hair and light brown scarf… Makino.

"Welcome, it's rare to see travelers this far in East Blue." She smiled.

"Oh? You see right away that I'm just a traveler?" Lana smiled from the shadow of her hood.

"You aren't anyone from the village, not a pirate nor a bandit since those come in groups. Merchants have different sort of clothes… not that many of them come to this village anyways." Makino replied with a smile.

"How astute observation. Yeah, I'm just a traveler." Lana made her way to the stool by the counter. "Could I have some food? Anything goes."

"Sure, just a moment."

A plate full of food was placed in front of Lana and she began eating. In the while she chatted with Makino and enquired about the things going on in the village.

"I saw a ship by the docks. It didn't look local…"

"Ah, that's the pirates that have been docking here for…" Makino paused cleaning the glasses for a moment as she counted the months. "It's been almost a year since they first arrived. They are a nice bunch, for pirates that is."

"Pirates? Which crew are they then? I couldn't really get a good look on the flag."

"Akagami no Shanks's crew. I hear the World Government calls him Yonko these days."

"Yonko?" Ah, how the time flied. "That's impressive. But what is such a Grand Line pirate doing at East Blue?"

"Well, I don't exactly know… Maybe you can try asking him when they come here. They like to spend time here after they arrive. I wonder if Luffy is greeting them back right now." The bar owner chuckled. Lana smiled too. And this gave her a new piece of information to ask about. It was good since she had no intention of revealing her 'occupation' yet.

"And who's this Luffy then? A pirate fan?" Lana pushed her empty plate away and leaned her elbows against the counter.

"Heh, you could say so. He is only seven now but aspires to become a great pirate one day. Luffy keeps every possible moment trying to ask Captain-san to take him to the sea with him."

"I see…"

The door behind Lana opened (not that there's much to open), and a laughing group of men smelling like salt and sea milled in. With them was a little kid that had a band-aid underneath his left eye.

"Oi, captain! We've got company!" Was it Yassop who informed the captain about it? Probably.

"So? More the merrier. I'm sure we can get him join too." Shanks laughed. He sounded just the same than before. Yeah, a bit lower voice but exactly the same tone.

"It's she." Lana snapped, with her right hand pulling her hood to cover her face better as Shanks took a seat next to her.

"Ah, sorry, ojou-san." The red-haired pirate captain grinned before Luffy took his attention again.

"I'm not afraid of pain at all! Next time bring me out to sea! I want to become a pirate too!" The kid was smiling despite the wound underneath his eye. That must have hurt no matter what he claims.

"You can't handle being a pirate!" Shanks laughed while holding a spoon in his hand… What was the purpose of that spoon by the way? "Not being able to swim is a pirate's greatest weakness!"

"As long as I stay onboard the ship, I'll be fine! Besides, my fighting is pretty good too!" The kid argued back. "I've rigorously trained before! My punch is as strong as pistol fire!"

"Pistol? Wow… really?" The man with straw hat deadpanned.

"What kind of tone is that!?"

"It's a tone that is realistic." Lana chuckled, fingers wrapping around a glass of water in front of her. "Kid, there's no way your punch could be as strong as a pistol no matter how much you've trained."

"And you are who?" Luffy frowned.

"Just a passer-by…" The girl waved her hand dismissively, directing the boy's attention to the pirates having fun behind them. Dancing some improvised dance. A little conversation followed between the pirates trying to persuade Shanks to take Luffy with them on one trip and Shanks rebutted by telling one of them staying on dry land then. The conversation dried up like a droplet of water into desert.

"The most important thing is that you're still too young. Wait at least another ten years and I'll reconsider taking you out to sea." The red-haired captain smiled, pointing the spoon into Luffy direction.

"Darn it Shanks! Let me tell you! I'm not a kid anymore!"

"Oh, shut up, boya!" Lana slammed her palm on the counter. Luffy and Shanks both jumped to stare at her cloaked figure while the rest of the pirates continued drinking and fooling around. "Being a pirate isn't anything to play with. No matter what sort of picture the dummies in here are giving to you, being a pirate is much more."

"And what do you know about it? You are just a normal traveler." Luffy glared.

"I know a lot. Much more than you do, boya."

"I do have a name too!"

"So? I call you boya and that's it." The girl shrugged. "In any case I know pirates and have spent time on a pirate ship. I know that there's much more than having fun when one is a pirate."

"Like what?"

"Hmm… It's surviving. I think the basic definition of being a pirate is surviving through the cost of freedom. There are storms raging on the high seas, Marines chasing after you just because you say you are a pirate, other pirates – especially Morganeers – to fight with… Not to mention the chores you have to do in order to keep both the ship and the crew in good condition and fully functioning because anything can really happen on the seas."

"Bah, why should I believe you?"

"No, you don't need to believe me or agree with me. I just told you how I view the life of a pirate." And Lana fell again to just listening the interactions between Luffy and Shanks.

* * *

><p>The door was kicked in. Lana's hand froze for a moment as she reached for water pitcher in front of her to pour some into her glass. But then she resumed her actions, not paying a heed to the intruders.<p>

"_Mountain bandits… I bet they're not going to pay."_

A bottle of sake got broken and its contents spilled on Shanks, stopping all motion in the bar.

"Just who do you think I am? Don't take me so lightly." The bandit leader, Higuma, snarled. "One bottle is not enough!"

"Oh no… Now the floor is all wet." Shanks muttered, ignoring the bandit completely.

"See this?" Higuma pulled out his own bounty poster. "My head is worth eight million berry. I'm one of the prime fugitives here and I've killed 56 people before, you cocky bastard. Now that you know who I am, don't mess with us again. After all, mountain bandits and sea pirates don't mingle very well."

Shanks just crouched on the floor to pick up the broken glass.

"Sorry about that, Makino. Do you have a mop?"

"Ah… It's alright. I'll clean it up!" Makino replied.

It all happened in a second. Lana leaned back in her seat until her upper body was in horizontal position and her knees against the bottom of the counter was the only one keeping her from falling on the floor. Drink splattered on her coat and the sword was hovering two inches from her neck where her hand had stopped it.

"Leave." The girl whispered as the newly made wound on her right began to bleed. Everyone was staring at her. "I do understand you are miffed because you were just ignored but that doesn't mean that you in turn can ignore everything around you just so you can throw a tantrum like a little kid… So I strongly suggest you leave now before I make you."

Higuma just stared at the depths of the girl's hood that miraculously still shadowed her face.

"I said _leave_."

The last word scared the bandits on the move. Of course not before a scathing and mocking remark towards the Red-Hair pirates but they left and that was that point. Lana let out a breath and pulled herself upright while Shanks's crew began laughing good-naturedly at their captain. Luffy didn't take the situation that well though and began yelling at the red-head.

"Look, I know how you feel…" Shanks began as he put his hat on again. "But it's just a bottle of sake. There's nothing to get worked up about. C'mon. Don't go Luffy…"

"I don't want to see you again coward!" The boy turned around to leave the bar. Cue the chaos of discovering that he'd eaten the devil's fruit, Gomu Gomu no Mi.

"Devil's Fruit user? How interesting…" Lana chuckled while Makino was looking for the first aid kit to treat her wound.

* * *

><p><em>Flow along, little glass bottle.<em>  
><em>With a message containing a wish<em>  
><em>On the other side of the horizon<em>  
><em>There, it quietly disappears.<em>

Eventually Luffy calmed down and Lana's hand was bandaged. Benn Beckman had calmly explained the boy what did it mean exactly now when he was a Devil's Fruit user.

"Does it hurt?" Shanks asked when Lana found herself rubbing the thumb of her left hand against the bandages again.

"Hm? Not really… Itches more like." The girl replied with a smile. "I only hope that it doesn't get infected. Who knows what filth was in that sword…"

"True that." The pirate captain mused before taking a better look on his conversation partner. "Hey… do I know you?"

"Hmm… I wonder. Do you?" Lana countered before getting up and leaving money on the counter for her food. "You definitely haven't changed at all, Shanks-kun."

* * *

><p>Lana found Luffy by the shoreline, a bit to the right from the docks, in a quiet bay.<p>

"Pretty place in here." The girl stated as she sat next to the boy.

"Is that so?" He muttered. Obviously the events of the day were bothering him.

"Yeah and you know… Even if there's something you don't understand right now, I'm sure you will in the future. And even if you don't have strength to fight anyone yet, if you keep training you'll surely be able to beat anyone who comes in your way."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You are a growing little boy and one day you'll surely grow up to be a strong pirate." Lana smiled down at the boy. Slowly a smile found its way on Luffy's face too.

"Really?!"

"I'm certain of it. But if you want to up your chances, why don't you send a wish?"

"A wish?"

"Yes, where I come from, there's a tradition that if you write a wish on a paper and put it in a bottle that you send then to the sea. It the sea itself approves your wish, there's a good chance it'll come true."

"Let's do it then!" Luffy was now bouncing in excitement.

"Alright, alright… Good that I took the water bottle from the bar." Lana laughed.

* * *

><p><em>You always did everything for my sake<br>All that I wanted, and yet...  
>I was always so selfish<br>And troublesome to you._

She really seemed familiar. But where had he met her…

Shanks leaned his chin against his palm as the ship of Red Hair pirates sailed on the Eastern Sea. The young woman whose face he hadn't even seen at Makino's bar was in his mind. He could swear he had met her before, there was something incredibly familiar in her way of speaking and mannerisms in general. And she obviously knew him too.

"Hey, did anyone catch that girl's name back in Foosha?" The captain asked the first mate nearby. Benn arched his eyebrows.

"No… We didn't see her after the commotion at all."

"Is that so…"

"Captain… Are you sulking?"

"…no?" Shanks tried to wave the question off but failed miserably as even his voice sounded doubtful.

"Do you know her?" Benn frowned.

"No! I mean… maybe…" The captain's voice faded into an incomprehensible mutter. "I might've. I don't remember though where…"

"She called you 'Shanks-kun'. Surely there isn't a many women to call you that. You are Yonko after all." The first mate clapped a hand on the red-head's shoulder. "Well, I'm sure you'll eventually figure out from where you know her."

"I hope so…"

* * *

><p><em>You, who grants my wishes<em>  
><em>Are no longer here.<em>  
><em>Will my thoughts, on this sea<em>  
><em>Arrive at their destination?<em>

Lana had decided to spend a week at Foosha. It was quite nice actually. She helped around the village for a stay and ate at Makino's bar. Luffy was a delightful little kid who quickly adjusted to his new situation even though he was still puzzled why Shanks and his crew had done nothing when the bandits had come. And during her stay Lana naturally also told stories to the boy too. For some odd reason no one in this village had heard about the Firefly though… Maybe it was the location. Away from everything…

The short-haired girl supposed it was the day that the bandits would be back. She looked at Luffy who was leaning his chin to the counter and playing with drinking glass filled with ice cubes. Yep, today was the day.

"Stop playing with that glass, Luffy-kun. What if it falls on the floor?" Lana sighed, straightening the glass and putting it out of the boy's reach.

"But Lana…" Yeah, eventually the girl had told her name to a chosen few of the village (meaning Luffy, Makino and Woop Slap) but otherwise she was either 'passer-by' or 'traveler-girl'.

"No buts. We don't need any more cleaning up after the mess the bandits made last time." The girl explained sternly right when the door to the bar opened and the aforementioned group of men – can they even be called that? – stepped in.

"Bring us some sake!" Higuma ordered and Makino couldn't help but comply. They were paying customers this time after all. Lana shot a glare on the bandits but turned her back to them then. She was wearing her cloak again so most likely the bandits recognized her from back then too.

As predicted, Luffy got mad when the bandits bad mouthed Shanks and his crew. And that angered Higuma the boar – or was it bear after all? – for some reason. Lana instinctively moved to stop the boy from being captured but…

"Let's take her too. She sided with the pirates after all."

Right…

* * *

><p><em>Flow along, little wish<br>Tears and regret  
>When I realized my sins,<br>It was always after everything was already over._

Lana was being held by two bandits by her arms while Higuma beat Luffy. And discovered the effects of Gomu Gomu no Mi on the boy. It took all Lana self-restraint not to free herself and beat the group by herself. But no, she needed to wait for Shanks and company arrive so the story would go as it was supposed to be.

"Seriously, stop it! He's just a kid!" The girl shouted just when Luffy's head got stepped on. The boy continued demanding the bandits to apologize what they had said about the pirates.

"Shut up, wench!" The bandit A snapped. He was the one holding her from her left arm.

"_Wench…? How dare he… He knows I'm female and sided with pirates and now I'm a wench?!"_ Lana thought angrily but bit back a retort.

"Let the child go! Please!" Woop Slap had arrived with Makino. "I don't know what Luffy did and I don't want to argue with you but I'm willing to pay! So please let the child go!"

No mention about Lana. Well, she wasn't from Foosha village so it was understandable. Luffy's life went ahead of hers.

"As one would expect, it's the elders that know the proper way to deal with any situation." Higuma grinned gleefully. Lana let out a snort. Pathetic. Especially with what the head-bandit said next: "But it's too late! You can't save this little brat now… because he really makes me angry. When a weakling like him insults me, it makes me so angry!"

"Then you should be the wiser one and pay no heed. Just like Shanks-kun did week ago." Lana bit out. She was shut up again, this time by bandit B on her other side. Who slapped her on the face… Bastard.

"It's your fault! You wild baboon!" Luffy yelled at Higuma.

"Fine, I'm not gonna sell you. I'll kill you instead." The bandit-boss stated, drawing his sword.

"Luffy!"

"Pl-Please! Let him go!" Makino and Woop Slap shouted. Lana lifted her eyes from the ground to the pair and the pirates behind them. Finally.

"I was wondering why no one welcomed us at the port…" Shanks began. "So this is why… Hey, you guys were the bandits from the other day."

"Captain!" Makino gasped in surprise and relief.

"Luffy! What's wrong? Isn't your punch as strong as pistol fire? And Miss Traveler, I didn't think you'd get caught with these guys."

"Well, what do you know, Shanks-kun… Someone needed to make sure the imbeciles here don't go too far. I could've stepped in any given moment." Lana shrugged.

"Pirate… Why are you still here? Are you going to clean up the whole town this time?" Higuma sneered. "I sugget you leave right now. If you get any closer, I might have to open fire, you coward."

But Shanks walked closer with even steps. One of the bandits, C, pointed a gun at the red-head's temple.

"Didn't you hear!? You were told not to go any closer! Do you want to get shot? Hahahaha!" C laughed. Other bandits joined in. Lana noted the grip of A and B on her arms was now more like in the loose sleeves of her cloak. She could easily slip out whenever she needed.

"Well, since you pulled out your gun, I guess we'll have to fight."

"Huh? What do you say?"

"I said, don't use this to scare people."

_**Bang!**_

Lucky Roux had moved to shoot bandit C at point blank range. Lana didn't even blink when the bandit fell on the ground dead.

"N-Now you've done it, bastard!"

"Damn it!"

"That was dirty!" The bandits shouted.

"Dirty?" Benn repeated. "Don't make us laugh. Do you think we're saints or something?"

"The people standing in front of you are pirates." Shanks told them, his crew posing behind him.

"…Shut up! This is none of your business." Bandit D barked back.

"Listen bandits…" The Yonko continued. "You can whip food or sake at me or even spit on me. I can laugh it off… But! I don't care what reasons you have! I won't forgive anyone who messes with my friends!"

"Ha ha ha ha! 'Won't forgive me'!?" Higuma quaffed. "You. A bunch of pirates who float around on a ship all day want to challenge us!? We will destroy you!"

"U-oooooooh!" And the bandits charged. "Go to hell!"

"Let me deal with this. I can take care of them myself." Benn stated, his rifle drawn out of his sash. Lana grinned from the depths of her hood.

"Mind if I join you?" The girl asked.

"Not at all." Cigarette was aimed between the eyes of bandit D who fell on the ground in agony. The storyteller slipped out of her cloak and the grasp of A and B while drawing her tonfas from her belt.

The fight was over in five seconds, leaving Benn and Lana standing in the middle of the fallen bandits.

"Don't overestimate yourselves, bandits…!" The rifle was aimed at Higuma who was the only one of his group still standing. "If you want to fight us you better get a fleet of Marines to back you up."

"Not that you could get their help. Bounty on your head and all." Lana smirked, picking her cloak form the ground and dusting it off.

"…Ah! Wait a minute… This little brat messed with us first!" Higuma shouted in panic.

"It doesn't matter. After all, there's a reward on you head, just like Lana stated." Ah, so now Shanks recognized her. Only after seeing her face… Lana felt like face palming. She couldn't though because the bandit-leader decided to escape with the help of smoke bomb, dragging Luffy with him.

"Oh no! We got careless! They took Luffy! What should we do!?" Shanks began panicking.

"Captain! Don't panic! Let's split up and find them!" Lucky Roux had paused eating in order to get the the red head calm down. Lana walked to Shanks, slapping him on the back of his head.

"Check the docks, Shanks-kun. They shouldn't be too far yet. The rest of us will look here at village."

"Ah, great idea, Lana." And the straw-hatted man ran to the directed way.

"That captain…" Benn sighed as he watched the red-head go. The rest of the crew scattered too, to check every possible place for sign of the bandit guy and the little boy. It was only the first mate of the Red Hair Pirates and the Firefly left in there.

"Luffy really has a special place in his heart, hasn't he?" Lana smiled.

"Definitely. But may I ask who are you and how do you know captain?" Benn gave an inquisitive gaze to the girl who just continued smiling as they began making their way towards Makino's bar.

"Hmm… I'm sure you've already figured it out. I'm certain that Shanks-kun has told you about his time at Oro Jackson."

"He has."

"Then there's no need for me to answer."

* * *

><p><em>Flow along, little glass bottle<br>With a message containing a wish.  
>On the other side of the horizon<br>There, it quietly disappears._

They all were gathered at the bar. Luffy was still sniffing. Both the bandit and the sea king had given the boy a good scare, not to mention the fact Shanks had lost his arm to save him. The pirate captain himself though… The red head was drinking sake with his stump of arm bandaged. Lana heard the ship's doctor was going to amputate it later on the evening so it wouldn't get infected.

"Nice to see you again, Lana." Shanks grinned from his regular seat next to the girl.

"Nice to see you too, Shanks-kun. Although I think I gotta drop the '-kun' now. You're older than me now." She mused while pouring juice for the two of them. No sake for the man while he had that arm untreated. And not for a long time after treatment. If Benn could keep the captain away from alcohol…

"Haa… That's unfair. But it's been… years since we met."

"Fourteen in your timeline. For me it was about three weeks ago since I left in the middle of battle."

"Everyone was worried. Except for Captain and master Rayleigh. They knew when you'd gone while the rest of us… Well, we realized only after the battle. And it didn't help that some of the Whitebeard Pirates suggested you had fallen into water…"

"I'm sorry, Shanks, that I left like I did. I just didn't want to say goodbyes." Lana placed her hand gently on the man's shoulder. "And considering how you had a crush on me back then…"

"Please forget that, Lana. It's embarrassing." Shanks groaned, hiding his face behind his right hand.

"Oh, c'mon, Shanks… You were so cute back then."

"I was thirteen!"

"I _am_ nineteen."

By now the few people that were listening in, were completely confused. How could someone be older that their captain but then younger than him? Unless it was a devil fruit in question but they were on one of the Four Blues now! And what was this talk about their captain having fallen on her? So they just continued listening the argument.

"Doesn't matter!" Shanks exclaimed.

"You didn't recognize me…" The female pouted. "It was only after I showed my face…"

"It's been fourteen years, Lana."

"I _know_. But I thought you would've recognized me sooner. We spent almost every possible moment together."

"You didn't really make the recognizing part easy for me with your cloak and all."

"So? I still sound exactly the same."

"I _asked_ you if you knew me."

"No, you asked it _you_ knew me to which I asked back if you did. And the answer obviously was 'no' as you didn't recognize me until today."

"Now, now, kids… play nice." Yassop appeared behind them. "There's no need to be at each other's throat."

Lana and Shanks looked up at the sharpshooter at the same time and then at each other. They burst out laughing.

"God, we're being so childish!" They exclaimed in unison.

* * *

><p><em>Flow along, little wish<em>  
><em>Tears and regret<em>  
><em>"If we were to be reborn..."<em>

Lana watched Shanks giving his signature straw-hat to Luffy. The ship East Wind was ready to set sail at any moment.

"Lana, will you come with us?" The red-head asked, offering a hand to the girl.

"…Nah, I think I'll continued my own journey. I've barely started you see." She shrugged.

"C'mon. A week here or there won't do anything. You have all the time in the world, Miss Firefly." Shanks grinned. Lana blinked. The pirate was right. She had all the time she could have in this life. Before she had had so limited time that sometimes things had been done in a rush. But now… now everything could be done on her own pace.

"Alright. But just a week." The girl took the offered hand and followed the one-armed captain to his ship. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Definitely."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And this is done. I wrapped up the Shanks-part of Lana's connections. I don't know when we'll meet him next...**

**I decided that Benn knows about Firefly that Shanks met back at Oro Jackson and knows about the story he heard. He also recognized Luffy as the kid from the story during the year they stayed at Foosha. So he was the only one who guessed her identity when she appeared for the first time. He isn't the smartest man of East Blue(how canon is this?) for nothing.**

**I won't write what happens now with Lana at the East Wind. You can decide it yourselves. But they are aware now that she is the Firefly.**

**Review Replies:**

**-Luffy's sister:  
>Thank you once again. And you are welcome for Smoker. I like him too.<strong>

**-casie200:  
>Thank you for your review. I'm happy you like this story. Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it too. :)<strong>


	5. Oh, it's teatime!

**A/N: I feel like writing this took ages... But anyways this is done now. I hope you like, more notes at the bottom of the chapter. :)**

**Chapter 5: Oh, it's teatime!**

_Crunch… Crunch, crunch, crunch…_

Lana dug her hand into the small paper bag she had and took out another cookie.

"I love senbeis!" The girl grinned and bit into the rice treat. Around her a forest rose high above her head. It was such a nice forest. It wasn't gloomy or dark, just shadowy. And while there definitely was some dangerous animals, they weren't a threat for her. After all she'd hear them and if there was a need, she could just warp away. All in all she was just having a nice day free from any worries or duties. Or so she thought…

"Greaaaah!" A roar echoed across the mountain beyond the forest. Lana froze in mid-step. Following that roar a tree fell down in distance. Then another… And another… They were forming a line towards the girl.

"You gotta be kidding me…"

From the forest ran a tiger. With a kid on its back. A kid that had a pipe with him. And the tiger was no small deal. They were heading straight at Lana.

_Blink._

Lana jumped in the air just when the tiger was almost at her. The pipe swiped the air where the girl's head had been a second ago. Without much of a thought, she landed on the tiger's rear, right behind the boy's seat.

"Huh?" Was all the kid managed to utter when his intended target wasn't where it had been, before he was kicked off the tiger's back. Lana hopped off the tiger, still munching a senbei, and watched how the boy crashed into a tree.

"Alright, kiddo… What the heck were you thinking when you decided to attack me like that? I was just passing by." The girl asked, picking another senbei from the paper bag that was rapidly getting emptier and emptier.

"You were looking suspicious." The boy barked, jumping on his feet. Lana gave him an appraising look.

"Right… And why are you attacking suspicious looking people? This is just a forest."

"This forest is under my protection. I'm going to become a great Marine so I'll catch all evil people."

"So?" Lana finished her cookie.

"What?" Now the boy was confused. Usually people he faced either attacked him or ran away.

"You want to become a marine and put evil people away… What does that have to do with me? Yeah, I wear a cloak but that's because of that scorching sun right above our head." Damn, the bag was empty now. Lana crushed the paper bag and threw it away. It would vanish with time.

"I…" The boy paused before laughing. "Bwahahahaha. You're funny girl."

"I'm older that you, kiddo. Don't call me girl." A tick mark appeared on Lana's temple.

"Whatever…" The boy swung the pipe on his shoulder and began to walk away. "Next time when we meet, don't expect me to let you go easy."

"Easy? Let go? I could easily beat you up, brat." Keep calm Lana, don't let that dimwit get under your skin.

"Really? What could an outlaw like you do to me, a future Marine?!" And the kid laughed again.

"Whatever gave you the idea that I'm an outlaw?"

"Respectable people don't come here. They stay at the city." The pipe was pointed to South-West.

"So you don't count into those respectable people either?"

"Nah, I'm just training. I live at the village." Now the pipe pointed to South-East. "But I'll become a Marine in the future, just watch me!"

"I couldn't care less…" The girl shrugged. "But I just bashed you onto that tree." She pointed at the kid-shaped dent on the trunk. "What makes you think _you_ can beat _me_?"

"I'll show you right here and now then!" And the boy attacked. He jumped high in the air, the pipe above his head. The pipe swung down, hitting fabric. It was the cloak. Just the cloak without its owner.

"Eh?" The boy blinked and failed to notice the presence behind him.

"Slow." The kid was kicked into another tree. When the kid struggled to stand up, he had quite admirable strength, Lana dug out another paper bag of Senbeis form her shoulder bag. "You are too slow, too weak and too impulsive to take me down, brat."

"I'll take you down!" The kid attacked again. Stubborn… Or just plain stupid. Lana moved her left leg to hit his stomach sideways. The kid flew across the little clearing again but this time he left the pipe behind. It remained lying on the ground by the girl's feet. And she just began eating a new rice cookie. An action that seemed to infuriate the boy greatly.

"You aren't taking me seriously. Come and fight like a man!" The boy was on his feet again. Lana stuck out her tongue.

"Nope. I'm no man. Or do you seriously fail to comprehend that there're both men and women in this world. While I'm not a man that doesn't mean I'm a weak housewife either. I trained at a pirate ship and took down enemies. A brat like you is nothing to me."

"So you are a pirate? I'll definitely beat you up!" And the boy charged forward again.

"Didn't you listen to me? I said I _trained_ at a pirate ship. I never claimed that I was a pirate myself." A knee struck against a ribcage, sending the boy into yet another tree.

"You associated with pirate and that's an offence enough!" And he was running at her again. Lana sighed, averting her eyes form the boy for a moment. A mistake. "Fist of Love!"

The girl's eyes widened. She crouched down so the hit sailed above her head before she reached a hand to grab the boy's wrist. She threw the boy away from her.

"Grah!" The kid slammed on the ground. And Lana sat on his chest, putting her left foot on his left wrist to pin it on the ground.

"Calm down, brat." The girl muttered when the boy didn't stop struggling. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You are a pirate… Pirates are scum…" The boy grunted and kept hitting the girl's back with his right hand. Lana let out a sigh and stuck her half-eaten senbei to his mouth.

"Shut up, brat. You lost so accept your loss. I'm not on the mood to play with you."

The senbei vanished quickly to the dark-haired boy's mouth. He calmed down considerably. Lana could only wonder when was the last time he'd eaten anything else than the meat he'd hunted down himself.

"Do you have more?"

The question caught the girl off-guard. Lana blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Do you have more of those?" The boy pointed the cookie she was eating.

"Yeah… But that doesn't mean I'd give you any."

"…"

"Give me your name and I'll give you a cookie."

"…"

"…" A staring competition was about to take place. The boy gave up before it could commence though.

"Garp. Monkey D Garp." Yep, Lana had pretty much guessed it. The boy even had that scar circling his left eye.

"Monkey D, eh? I guess I'm at Dawn Island then." The girl mused and stuck a new senbei to the boy's mouth. The kid began munching it happily.

"Uh-huh." He nodded.

"Say, Garp… Why do you want to become a Marine?"

"Bwecause if's un hanobrl hob. (Because it's an honorable job.)" The future vice-admiral answered his mouth full of the rice cracker.

"I see… Do you know the difference between a Morganeer and a Peace Maine?"

"No… What are those?"

"They are both pirates. But different sort of pirates." And the Firefly began explaining the same things she'd told Smoker a while back.

* * *

><p>"So do you understand now? It's important to know the difference between the two because the Peace Maine can actually help islands that Marines don't care about."<p>

"What do you mean? Marines care about all islands! They are honorable and great people who fight for justice!" Garp was arguing back. Lana shook her head sadly. All her efforts gone to waste…

"No. This world goes on like the leaders deem suitable. Do you want to hear a story? It tells about a lonely girl."

But before the boy could answer, the Fireflies were already in the air, surrounding them.

"_There is a lonely little girl living on a peaceful island. The island is small and has only one village in there. It's so small one could walk around it in a half a day. So what would there be on that island, that would be any interest to this story? Yes, the girl lives in there but so does many other children too. And there are many lonely children in this world so what makes this girl special? Let me tell you. The girl has a power. And that power is not the one that makes other children call her a monster and throw stones at her. This power is something rare that only the scholars of the island have. It's the ability to find the Truth. The Truth that has been hidden for centuries._

"_The scholars of the island live underneath a giant tree. It is so to hide. To hide their power from the world. The people ruling the world don't want anyone to find the Truth. They know that would cause their fall. So they claim the scholars are after something else. Something dangerous. And because of that one day… The Marines arrive to the island. They have a mission to kill all the scholars so they wouldn't revive an ancient weapon. That's what they've been told._

"_The Marines arrive and evacuate the town. The island will be wiped away because that island holds the first piece of the Truth. So the head scholar asks for a permission to talk with the people of the World. He wants to reason with them and ask for a reason for their execution. As an answer, the Marines are ordered to kill him._

"_Meanwhile the girl who'd found a friend in a form of an ex-Marine is about to board one of the ships evacuating the inhabitants of the island. But as soon as she is there, she realizes the scholars – who've been as good as family to her – aren't there. So she runs away in order to find them. And she does, right when the head scholar is shot at._

"_During the course of events it's revealed that the girl also has the power to search the Truth. It makes her a threat to the World. Or so they say. She runs away, the scholars telling her to live. She runs back to her new friend who tries to help her. But a man is after her. Admiral in Blue. The Blue Admiral kills the friend but doesn't get to strike at the girl too. Because something is happening behind him._

"_The ships carrying civilians are being blown up. There is no survivors. Not even the Marines who'd be protecting them. The one who gave out the order was Admiral in Red. He did it for his own wretched version of Justice. He doesn't trust anyone. Not even his fellow Marines. He saws everyone either as a threat or a liability. He doesn't care about innocent lives if there's a little chance to get a pirate killed._

"_So the Blue Admiral makes his decision. He lets the girl go. He even ensures that no one will chase after her. He tells the girl to prove him that she will find her own place in the world. Place that won't endanger innocent civilians. May it take a year. May it take two. May it take a decade. May it take two. Just prove that he isn't making a mistake._

"_On the next day the girl's bounty poster is out, calling her a demon and accusing her of destroying those Marines vessels of civilians. On that day begins the girl's lonely journey to the world. She shunned and betrayed. She does anything to survive, to ensure that the hunt of Truth isn't forgotten. The girl… she gets into a wrong crowd. She allies with the pirate of Desert._

"_For awhile the Blue Admiral fears he has made a mistake. He has been thinking so for years. But the girl has been hard to catch so he has been unable to do anything. So when the pirate of Desert is defeated and the girl joins another pirate crew, this time of a boy who wants to become the greatest of the pirates, he sees his chance. A group of shadows are dispatched to get the girl and ensure the pirates, Peace Maine crew, won't get her back._

"_The girl – now a young woman – is taken away. She is taken away so the Truth of the World won't come out. But the boy and his loyal crew comes after her. She is Nakama. She is important. So the girl cries. She wants to be free. She wants to live. She wants to fulfill her dream of finding the Truth._

"_And she will. She is freed. She is safe again. And this time she is truly safe. She can trust her new crew._

"_The Blue Admiral meets the girl in secret. He tells her that he isn't worried anymore. But he also warns her that if she ever again strays from her path he is going to hunt her down personally. But there's no threat for that anymore… Because the girl isn't lonely anymore."_

* * *

><p>The boy had fallen asleep. What was with kids falling asleep when the story is over? Lana frowned. They were awake when she ended it but as soon as the Fireflies were gone, they were softly snoring away. Strange… Or then they were meant to give her a get-away. The Storyteller was supposed to stay to tell a story and be gone the next day. To add some mystique for her or something…<p>

Chuckling, Lana got on her feet and left her half-empty bag of senbeis for the boy. Kami knew he needed something else to eat than just meat…

"Garp the Fist… What an annoying brat you are…" The girl grinned. "But you really won't change much, will you?"

* * *

><p>It was some sort of a festival. At least it looked like one for Lana. She was at Marineford, on the Oris Plaza. There were little stalls scattered about, families walking around and chatting happily. Marines the lot of them. Good marines with their families… Humans like everybody else.<p>

"_I wonder how many of them will die in the up-coming years… I wonder how many of those children join the ranks in future and make name for themselves…"_ The girl mused pensively as she walked among the festival people. She didn't ask what the festival was about, there was no need. Here people were just being themselves. No one was talking about Justice, not Absolute, Obscure, Lazy or Blind one. No one was talking about pirates and how they were scum. Here people exchanged greetings and rumours. They walked and talked. Only weapons visible were some swords but even them were carefully sheaths and on the Marine officers' waists. Even the coats that carried Justice with them, were left home. Tonight there was no ranks or duties, was just humans.

"_I wonder what happened during these next decades… Other than the start of Great Pirate Era… Did Marines completely forget the initial meaning of Justice: 'be just, fair'? Or did the World Government start steering them to the direction of radicalism? To Absolution?"_ Lana brushed of invisible lint from her aqua-colored yukata and went to one stall that was selling some Okonomiyaki. There was no fancy food anywhere. It was something simple to snack or fill your stomach with.

"Thank you very much." The girl smiled as she got her dish and handed out the money.

"You are welcome dear." The elderly woman smiled back and wished her happy festival.

Lana headed to the direction of the same than the people around her. She looked up at any signs but found none. Only when the group seemed to stop, she got to know what was going on.

A Calligraphy competition.

Well, not really a competition. Every child was rewarded with a light violet flower badge after painting their name with kanji(or using western alphabets depending on from which area of the world their family was from).

While majority of the names were generic and quite ordinary(on One Piece scale), there was one paper that caught Lana's attention. It was in front of a kid in karate outfit and with a black afro. The boy was glowering at everyone, like daring them to laugh at him.

戦国

Warring states… Sengoku…

"_So I get to meet you too, Golden Buddha."_ The traveler smiled. _"Hmm… I wonder if I should…"_

* * *

><p>"Oneesan, do you know where is the takoyaki stall?" A little girl's voice asked and had tugged the hem of Lana's yukata. The young woman turned to look at the girl with a smile.<p>

"Yes, it is right there." She pointed at a stall that was just barely visible behind the people milling about.

"Thank you, oneesan!" The girl smiled brightly and was about to leave when the storyteller called her back.

"Hey, if you can, gather as much of your friends as you can and come to the area behind the calligraphy stall around seven o'clock. I'm telling a story."

"Okay, oneesan!" With a cheerful wave, the girl jogged away, to the takoyaki place where her parents seemed to be waiting for her. Lana smiled. Now she only needed to wait.

* * *

><p>Seven o'clock. Sharp. Lana was sitting on a low bench next to three similar ones that formed a wonky square. Sky was turning into burning orange and around the benches were little lanterns placed. Some hanging from the nearby stalls and some on the ground. And on the benches were children sitting. There were about twenty of them. Ages ranged from three to thirteen. No older teens seemed to be there. No adults were either. They probably trusted nothing bad would happen to the children when they all were together and in the middle of Marineford at that.<p>

Lana smiled at the eager faces. This was a festival. They wanted to know what sort of story she would tell. They wanted to know she was.

"Do you want to hear a story?" The young woman asked. There was nodding and affirmative murmuring. "Great." She took her hand out of her sleeves and let out the Fireflies she'd been gathering in there. The little glowing orb floated up in the air and formed a dome around the little group of them. The children looked at them in awe, while she tugged her cloak on her shoulders and put her hood on completing her storyteller look.

"_This story tells about a soldier. A soldier with kind and brave heart. He does what is right even if others don't see it. He is… invisible soldier, answering only to his mentor, Mr. Seagull. The life of that soldier has been hard, he lost both of his parents at young age and his only remaining family member is his demon of a brother._

"_The kind-hearted soldier loves his brother though. Even when he can see the evil that devil is spreading around the world. He wants to help that brother and protect the world. So he becomes a spy and joins his brother at the frozen sea._

"_Years pass. The devil brother sails the seas and spreads havoc and misery. The soldier stays silent and gives reports to Mr. Seagull so the worst burn can be prevented. The soldier watches as his brother falls deeper into insanity. The situation begins to feel hopeless. But the soldier pushes on. He wants to save his brother, even if in the end it means stopping him eternally._

"_One day, when the soldier comes back to the island where the devil's group is situated, he finds a boy in there. The boy is sick, fatally so, and wants to make the world repay the suffering he has endured because of the World. He wants to hurt as many people as possible before he succumbs to the illness. And the soldier watches sadly as the kid tags along with the devil brother. He has tried to scare children away from them but with little success._

"_One day the boy stabs the soldier. While there has been a rule among the devil's that no one harms other, the boy disregards it. He is hurting. He is hurting even worse than a stab wound would even if he doesn't realize it himself. The soldier does though. And while the act of stabbing another of the devils would warrant a death sentence, the soldier tells no one what happens. Because he understands that boy._

"_The boy doesn't understand the action of silence. He continues hating the soldier because he doesn't understand why a man like him is alive while everyone the boy knew had to die at the hands of the World. Then they boy's slips… and this is important. He lets out that he has inherited the middle initial D. While the boy doesn't understand its meaning, the soldier does. The soldier, oh so kind, takes the boy away. He wants to find a cure to the boy's illness. No matter what. And he tells Mr. Seagull he will leave his post at the devil's nest._

"_Half a year passes. Nothing is seen nor heard of the two. No cure is found either. Not until the devil calls. There is a miracle cure that anyone would want. If a doctor were to have it, they would be unparalleled on medical field. And the devil wants it to himself so he has decided to interrupt the exchange. But what interests the soldier, is that the miracle cure would help the boy. They boy who is as dear as a little brother for him now._

"_When the soldier contacts Mr. Seagull, the man is shocked that the soldier knows about the cure. It was supposed to be a secret exchange after all. But the soldier tells him to reveal the location of the exchange. They are running against the time. The boy's condition is worsening rabidly._

"_On the said location, the soldier leaves the boy to a safe place and goes to get the cure by himself. The devil isn't there yet and the exchange is supposed to take place hours later. But he has to hurry. Any second now the illness might get better of the boy._

"_The soldier gets the cure and makes the boy eat it. He is in time but due a little blunder the soldier himself is severely injured. So he asks a boy to take a message to another soldier. Anyone who could pass it on to Mr. Seagull. So the boy hurries and finds a soldier. Only that soldier is a spy, working for the devil. The spy reads the report the Brave Hearted Soldier has written. A report that could save a country of gladiators if given to Mr. Seagull. And when the spy finds the Soldier of Hearts he is enraged to find out that it is the devil's brother who is the traitor._

Lana paused her story for a moment to look at the faces of the children around her. They all listened with rapt attention, leaning forward on their seats. Then she looked away, at her hands and intertwined fingers before looking up at the floating Fireflies.

"_Injured and unable to defend himself, the soldier takes on the beating the spy delivers. The boy tried to intervene but is kicked down too. The spy leaves them, to contact the devil, and on that moment the pair of runaways take their chance._

"_The boy is hidden and the soldier waits to confront the devil. But even after everything he has seen and no matter of his views and determination… he is still too kind. The soldier can't kill the devil. The devil is still his brother. And he loves his brother. Even though he was incapable of saving him._

"_The soldier is shot down. The devil walks away. The boy is hidden and will escape. He will learn to use the miracle cure and come back for revenge. But this time it won't be to destroy the World. It will be to destroy the devil._

"_The snow is falling down and covering everything on that little island at the frozen sea. And while some might think that the soldier is weak because he couldn't do anything right, he was actually strong. He had a strong mind and will to endure and witness the cruelty of the devil and demons. He was kind and brave to look for a cure for the kid even at the risk of death. He saw the world as it was. He saw that everyone was just human. He saw corrupted soldiers. He saw children suffering because of the World. He saw that everything wasn't black and white. And most of all… he was strong enough to act according to what he saw."_

* * *

><p>The Fireflies gathered into an empty lantern that Lana held up. The silence after the story was touchable. The youngest children were wide-eyed despite their heads nodding off. The older ones were exchanging glances. Determination was shining through their eyes. Lana could see they were burying the story deep in their hearts. They were going to become great Marines. Those who'd see the truth and would go to the path of Absolution.<p>

"Say, Hotaru-san…" One of the kids spoke up, breaking the spell. "The Soldier of Hearts… Is he real?"

Lana gazed at the boy who'd spoken. He had that familiar black afro of hair she'd noted before. She smiled at the name used on her… Miss Firefly. He either had heard of the rumors or then had made up the way to address her on a whim.

"Of course he is. He is my brother."

* * *

><p>"Cheater!"<p>

"There is no way you could've beat Robert."

"Someone helped you!"

"Liar!"

"Loser!"

"Ugly face!"

Cries of preteens… Directed at a girl with dark blue hair. The girl gave a frosty glare to the boys surrounding her and the chessboard where the finished game was still visibly seen. She said nothing. She had already showed them how good she was at chess. She had beaten the oldest of them easily, without any help. But they didn't believe the outcome. They didn't believe that a girl could beat a boy in a chess. Or in anything really. The place of the girls was at home, taking care of the children. Or, if one was noble, to keep up a pretty picture and maintain contacts with other influential families. In any case, the fact she'd just beaten a boy in a battle of wits was an outrage.

"Saa… You are being incredibly immature here." A shadow was casted on the boys and the chessboard. The four of them turned slowly around to stare up into a face shadowed by a dark colored hood. They couldn't see any facial features except for a wide grin. It was quite scary.

"W-Who're you?" The boy who'd played against the girl stuttered.

"Just a passerby. And you are being a rude to a lady. Didn't your mothers or nannies teach you any manners?" The hooded figure continued.

"Don't talk about my mother like that!" Another boy shouted in a bout of courage but once the hood turned to face him, he shrank behind his friends.

"I didn't. I only pointed out what you let me believe. Such a lack of manners…" The figure sighed. "And you are supposed to be upper middle class, the last step from nobility…"

"No one asked for your opinion!" Third boy yelled. "Leave, you peasant. This is the matter of people higher status than you."

"Ah, yes… There is this… ball downstairs. Why aren't you there? I saw many simple-mined girls in there that wouldn't mind your company. After all one day you'll marry one of them…"

For some reason the four boys became enraged by the comment. Or then by the way the figure spoke to them, belittling them. So the quartet attacked. All of them had some sort of blades in their person. It seemed their parents had taught them to be paranoid. Paranoid and spoiled. Not a good combination.

The attack was over as soon as it began. The boys were on the floor without any visible bruises and the two knives, a pocketknife and a dagger were on the hand of their opponent.

"How troublesome…" The girl who'd just observed the happenings quietly heard the person say. She could hear now that the other person was a female too.

"Why did you help me?" She asked then

"Because I think females are capable of doing whatever they wish for. The restriction of society shouldn't dictate ones future." The other female stated, placing the blades on a bookshelf nearby and then grabbing the four imbeciles on the floor by the scruff of their jackets and dragging them outside of the room. When she came back, she locked the door behind her and put the key on the table, right next to the chessboard.

"Shall we have some tea?"

* * *

><p>Gentle steam was rising from two teacups. A gentle smell of lemon was wafting in the air. Occasional clink of china interrupted the conversation between the two girls every so often. The younger had introduced herself as Tsuru and the older told her name was Lana.<p>

"People around here don't really put weight on myths." Tsuru remarked.

"Myth like me?" Lana smiled. The younger girl was smart. Amazingly so. "I don't know is I should be worried on how people recognize me."

"It's not like they remember your looks."

"They don't?" Now the girl was confused. If people knew of her and could recognize her, how did they do so if they didn't remember what she looked like?

"There are some written accounts of meetings with Firefly but they all lack description. I suppose it has something to do with those fireballs you use as they aren't real insects." The blue-haired girl explained as she poured more tea for herself and then filled Lana's half empty cup too. "I suspect you have an sort of an aura that allows those people who actually know you and want to make contact with you, to recognize you as you are."

"Haki?" Lana guessed awkwardly.

"I don't know what that is so I cannot say." Tsuru shrugged. "I could try looking into this matter but unfortunately Government is beginning to ban those books."

"Ban? Why?"

"I'm not sure. No one tells me. But I think they are scared."

"Scared that I'll ruin them?" The young traveler chuckled.

"In a way yes. There has been whispers since the beginning about one story that the Firefly has: 'Story yet to be told'."

"'The Story of the Truth'?"

"Yes."

"I see…" Lana was speechless. She had been planning to tell that story once she knew enough about this world. The Truth meant the Void Century. The Truth meant what was written on Poneglyphs. And she referenced to the Truth in many of her stories. And World Government was banning books about her because of that.

"They haven't put a bounty on you yet." Tsuru commented.

"They are trying to deny my existence. I'm not exactly a threat but a nuisance. And because they don't know what I look like they probably assume I'll vanish into the folds of time. Because of old age." Lana laughed.

"The Government isn't that bad you know…"

The storyteller cast a glance on the opposite her and took a proper look on her. Upper middle class girl from an island in North Blue. Smart for her age with a great tactical mind. Beauty of her own right. Strong will and opinions… and full belief to the world.

"Maybe not yet…" Lana sighed. "But it will be. Marines will be more ruthless and corrupted. The Government and Marines alike turn a blind eye on slavery because the Tenryuubito want slaves. Entire nations are being trampled down because the dictators of those countries support the Government."

"…"

"Have you heard of Tequila Wolf? It is an island in East Blue. Nobles in there decided to build a giant bridge to the next island hundreds of years ago… People of that country were dragged out of their homes to build the bridge. Slaves were brought in. The death toll is enormous… And you know what? They are still building it." The Firefly put aside her tea cup. "I think that bridge is a great example of the corruption of this world."

"Is that so…" Tsuru's voice was but a whisper. "I want to make sure the world won't become any worse than it already is…"

"I'm sure you can do it, O-Tsuru. Shall we have a game of chess now?"

"You'll lose." The young girl smiled shrewdly.

"Most likely. But I'm a good loser." Was replied with a grin.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And I'm done. I hope you liked the intepretations of Garp, Sengoku and Tsuru that I came up with. G and S were inspired by the pictures that Oda drew to SBS. T... well, I created my own picture of her.**

**And, now Lana learns more about herself and her powers. And about how other people view her. I also tried to convey how the world was before their time and during it. In my opinion it was a bit calmer, the pirates weren't that numerous and Government was the problem in the shadows. The visible radikalism began during the Great Pirate Era and before it when Roger, Newgate and Shiki(+Kaidou and Big Maam?) sailed the seas. In this chapter there is no major players on the pirate side.**

**Replies to Reviews:**

**-Luffy's sister:  
>You are welcome. :)<br>Ah, Doflamingo... He won't appear in a while. I don't know when exactly but not for a while... Lana needs to learn first what happened in her world. But he will appear, no worries.**

**-pandakawaiiness:  
>Ah, well... I'm glad you kept reading then. It's great to hear you like this story.<strong>


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